Serendipity
by mida212
Summary: What do you do when the one you wait for never comes? If you're Rachel Berry, you go find him. AU **COMPLETE**
1. Rainy Day Memories

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine._**

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><p>"<em><strong>Serendipity: Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.<strong>__**"**_

_**-Lawrence Block**_

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><p>"Rachel Barbra Berry, will you marry me?"<p>

Rachel stared at awe at the man down on one knee in front of her, holding out the most beautiful diamond ring. She glanced around, looking at the crowd that had gathered watching them, seeing her family members and friends sprinkled throughout the crowd. Jesse had chosen to propose by having the waiter deliver the ring on a silver domed platter surrounded by lit sparklers. When the waiter had lifted the lid, the sparklers caused the massive diamond ring sitting in the center of the platter to glisten, like the rays of the sun hitting ice. A crowd had immediately formed once Jesse went down on one knee and taken her hand. She couldn't even answer him at first, she was so in shock.

Why she was in shock, she wasn't sure. They had been dating for the past two years, so it's not like this was unexpected. They were the perfect couple according to everyone, and this was certainly the perfect proposal.

So why couldn't she answer him?

She loved Jesse, she was sure of it. They got along so well, very rarely fought and they had _so_ much in common. Like her, Jesse worked on Broadway, having successfully landed the lead role of Curly in the revival of _Oklahoma! _Rachel hadn't been as lucky, only managing to be cast as extras or swing of several different shows, but that was ok for now. They shared a love of show tunes, singing, and old movies. They read all the same books, liked all the same TV shows and he got along well with her family.

They'd met when they were both working in the cast of _How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying._ Jesse had charmed her, and eventually they'd started dating. The two of them had fallen into a comfortable routine, easily balancing work and dating. Jesse had wanted to move in together within six months, but Rachel had always negated that idea and two years later, they still lived in separate apartments. Jesse never pressured her about moving in again; instead he actually worked out a system for alternating apartments.

She looked at him now, down on one knee, eagerly anticipating the 'yes' answer everyone was sure would come out of her mouth. Jesse was so _safe._ Their relationship was so easy, so effortless and Rachel knew she was lucky. Jesse treated her like a Queen, giving her whatever she wanted and letting her do whatever made her happy.

She should say yes. She should.

She noticed Noah standing nearby, watching the scene in front of him with a bored expression. The sight of her cousin made a memory from long ago pop into her head.

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><p>"<em>Nana, Noah won't play wedding with me," 8 year old Rachel complained as she climbed into her grandmother's lap.<em>

"_I'm not playing that stupid game! She always makes me dress up like a penguin and say stupid stuff!" Noah's voice called from the other room. _

"_Noah says no one would ever want to marry me because I have cooties," Rachel said worriedly, resting her head on her grandmother's shoulder._

"_Don't listen to Noah. One day, you'll find your soul mate, just like I did. Did I ever tell you how I met Grandpa?" she asked as she cuddled Rachel closer._

"_It was during World War II. Most of the boys my age were off at war, but one Saturday a month, my school hosted a dance and invited all the local schools to come, so there were always some boys at these dances. My friend Margaret and I would always go, and one Saturday, March 20, 1943 to be exact, Margaret came over to tell me that there was going to be a boy named Alan at the dance that she knew from her old neighborhood and she wanted me to meet him. Alan was home on leave, and according to her, was very dreamy. I had no intention of going to the dance, since my mother had decided I needed to help her at the Red Cross and I told Margaret so. Margaret kept insisting, and finally my mother agreed that I could go to the Red Cross next week instead. So there I was, standing on the side of the dance floor talking to Alan, who'd turned out to be a huge bore. I started watching the people as they came in, while Alan talked about himself and his car. Suddenly, the most beautiful man walked in. He must have been home from leave like Alan, because he was in uniform. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I suppose he felt me staring at him, because his eyes found mine. I kept staring at him as he started to walk towards me. I forgot all about Alan, handing him my punch glass as I started walking towards this handsome soldier I'd never even exchanged a word with. We met in the middle of the dance floor, he took my hands in his, and we started dancing. We danced and talked all night, until he had to walk me home. We spent the rest of his leave together and I wrote to him every week once he left. When the war ended, Grandpa came home and we were engaged and married within one year."_

_Rachel had listened to this story with wide eyes. Nana, lost in her memories, simply held her close and continued. "It was destiny, Rachel. Your grandfather wasn't supposed to come home till the next day and I wasn't even going to go to that dance. Fate made sure we both got to where we were supposed to be, because he's my other half, my soul mate. One day, that'll happen to you."_

"_What do you mean, my other half?" Rachel asked, looking down at her body as if she was missing something._

"_She means the other half of your brain, Rachel, cause everyone knows girls are stupid," Noah added helpfully, having snuck into the room while Nana was telling the story, running his Matchbox car along the arm of the chair._

"_Noah, that is not what I meant, and girls are not stupid. I'm a girl, you know," Nana admonished gently._

"_No you're not, you're a Nana," Noah replied, confident in this theory. He continued driving his car along the arm of the chair, deliberately making loud vroom vroom noises to annoy Rachel._

"_I may be Nana, but I was once a girl like Rachel." This idea made Noah stop mid vroom, as he paused to consider Nana ever acting as annoying as Rachel did._

"_What did you mean then, Nana?" Rachel asked as she stuck her tongue out at Noah._

"_Well, Princess, some say that humans originally had four arms, four legs, and two heads. Back in Ancient Greece, the head of the Gods, Zeus, feared that humans would be too powerful and usurp his power. To punish the humans, Zeus split each human right down the middle, forcing each person to spend their lives wandering around trying to find their other half so that they could be complete again."_

"_So then a soul mate's your other half?"_

"_It's more than that. A soul mate is the person who you have an immediate connection with, from the second you meet. It's so strong that you can't help but be drawn to them, like a magnet. That's what it was like for me and Grandpa. Our eyes connected from across the room and nothing could have stopped us from walking towards each other."_

"_And that's really going to happen for me?"_

"_You'll see. You'll be somewhere and it'll just happen. You'll find the one person who understands you no matter what and it will make you wonder if you've ever loved anyone else because you've never felt like this before. When you meet, it'll be like meeting an old friend, instead of a complete stranger."_

"_Really?" Rachel was visibly impressed by this idea, before a new worry got a hold of her. "What if I don't know?"_

"_Oh, you'll know, I promise." _

"_And everyone has one? A soul mate, I mean," Rachel stipulated, keeping an eye on Noah, who was now driving his car along the back of the couch she and Nana were occupying._

"_Everyone." Nana shook her head firmly, before leaning closer to Rachel. "Even Noah."_

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><p>Why had this memory popped into her head now?<p>

_Because Jesse's not your soul mate. _

The thought came into her brain unbidden and she quickly buried it. Sure, kissing Jesse didn't make her feel a slow burn that spread throughout her body, but it felt nice. Kissing Jesse was something she did automatically now, and the initial attraction she'd felt for him had faded like fireworks over time, leaving behind a comfortable feeling in its place.

Rachel looked at Jesse, finally opening her mouth, just as another thought flew through her brain.

_Jesse's not your soul mate. Sam Evans is._

Just as quickly as before, she squashed that thought, pushing it to the furthest recesses of her mind. So what if when she met Jesse it wasn't like meeting an old friend? She was done with all that soul mate stuff.

Turning to Jesse, who was still down on one knee, she opened her mouth once again.

"Yes."

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><p><strong><em>AN: And we're off! This story will be loosely based off of Marisa Tomei's movie "Only You."_**


	2. Restless Nights

_**Disclaimer: Glee does not belong to me**_

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><p><strong><em>You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see but you can never close your heart to things you don't want to feel<em>**

**_-Unknown_**

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><p><strong><em>2 months later…<em>**

"Ooooh, Rachel, you look amazing, like a big snowball," Brittany gushed, placing a veil on Rachel's head as Rachel studied herself critically in the mirror.

"I don't know. I don't think this is it Brits." Used to Brittany's weird choice of words, she frowned, trying to figure out what was wrong with the stunning Vera Wang gown she was wearing, besides the $15,000 dollar price tag. Jesse had insisted that she spare no expense when it came to the wedding, demanding that she head over to Vera Wang, despite Rachel's protests. As he never failed to point out, since he was a bona fide Broadway star now, his wedding had to be up to the standards of Broadway royalty.

She glanced in the mirror at Brittany, who had placed a veil on her own head and was dancing around on an imaginary dance floor to the annoyance of the snooty consultant.

It hadn't taken Brittany this long to find _her_ wedding gown. Brittany had gone to the bridal salon once, tried on three dresses, and refused to try on anymore after the third one, claiming that the third dress was _'The One_.' Rachel had already been to Vera Wang four separate times, and every time she'd tried on loads of dresses, finding fault with each one.

"What don't you like about this one?" Audra, the bridal consultant assigned to Rachel asked, shooting another annoyed glance at Brittany, who'd wrapped the $1000 dollar cathedral length veil around her arm like a muff, allowing her to dance more easily.

Brittany stopped dancing, coming over to stand next to her long time best friend. "Actually, you look more like a frosted cupcake."

Audra sniffed at Brittany's words, highly offended that a _Vera Wang_ original could ever be compared to a kid's party food.

"No," Rachel said firmly, stepping off the pedestal, as Brittany resumed her waltzing, crashing into a potted plant and knocking it over, the dirt spilling all over the white rug. The consultant gave an audible gasp as she put her hand over her eyes, causing Rachel to hastily add, "Let's try the next one."

"Don't worry. We'll find you a dress. Here at Vera, we like to say your gown is like your soul mate. When you see it, you just know," Audra said with a forced cheerfulness as she picked up Rachel's train, ready to escort her to the dressing room, while throwing a dirty look at an oblivious Brittany, who was now trying on the jewelry on the shelf, in addition to the veil. Rachel stared at Audra, not noticing the poorly concealed anger on her face as the consultant's choice of words echoed in her head.

"Rachel has a soul mate. His name is Sam Evans," Brittany announced, now waltzing on the pedestal in front of the three way mirror, admiring her jewels.

"Well, I'm sure we'll find a dress Sam will love," Audra promised.

Rachel stopped dead in her tracks, turning to look at the consultant. "You know what; I don't think I want to try on anymore today. I…I think I'll make an appointment to come back."

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><p>Rachel lay in bed unable to sleep yet again. She glanced at the clock in frustration.<p>

4:15 AM.

Jesse slept peacefully next to her, snoring lightly. She sighed loudly, hoping he'd awaken. When he didn't, she poked him gently. "Jesse?"

Jesse cracked one eye open, attempting to focus an eye still heavy with sleep on Rachel. "What?"

"Do you believe in soul mates?"

"What time is it?" Jesse turned over onto his back, placing an arm over his eyes after he glanced at the clock. "Are you serious? You're asking me this now? You _know_ I need my sleep. It's Wednesday. That means I have two performances today. If I don't get my required amount of sleep, I'll be flat and then thousands of fans who came to see Jesse St. James will leave the theater disappointed. Go back to sleep."

He turned back over, falling asleep immediately, leaving Rachel as restless as before.

_Here at Vera, we like to say your gown is like your soul mate. When you see it, you just know_.

Why did the consultant have to say that?

Brittany certainly hadn't helped.

_Rachel has a soul mate. His name's Sam Evans._

She sighed again, pushing Brittany's comment to the back of her mind. She closed her eyes trying to invite sleep, but the only thing that came was the memory of her eighth birthday party.

The day she first heard the name Sam Evans.

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><p>"<em>Smile for the camera, Birthday Girl!" her daddy said, aiming the video camera at Rachel. "Why don't you sing us a song while we wait for the party to be set up? It'll be good practice for Broadway." Rachel immediately launched into a rendition of "Popular" from Wicked, smiling and hamming it up for the camera. The camera panned the crowd of relatives watching the impromptu performance as they set up for the party.<em>

_Rachel's fathers always went all out for her birthdays, creating a different theme for each year. This year's theme was 'carnival' and her fathers had hired a company to set up a large heated tent in the backyard, where the catering company was setting up authentic carnival food stands and her relatives were setting up the carnival game booths they'd rented. The magician was setting up in one corner and the bouncy house was being blown up. The only thing missing was the fortune teller, who had called to say she'd be slightly late._

"_Nana! Grandpa!" Rachel finished singing just in time to run and greet her grandparents._

"_There's my little Strawberry!" Grandpa said, picking her up and swinging her around. "Found your soul mate yet?" he teased as he put her back down. Ever since Nana had told her and Noah the story of how she met Grandpa last week, he was always asking her if she'd found her soul mate yet. _

"_Not yet, Grandpa," Rachel said, giggling. She noticed her Aunt Rebecca walking over to join them, followed closely by Noah and his little sister Sarah, who was looking around the tent in awe. Her eyes grew wide as she saw Noah's hair, which was now shaved into a Mohawk. Noah was the same age as her and he had a Mohawk? _

"_There's the Birthday Girl! Happy Birthday Rachel!" Aunt Rebecca said as she hugged Rachel. "Noah, Sarah what do you say?"_

"_Happy birfday!" 3 year old Sarah cried, clapping her hands excitedly._

"_Happy Birthday Rachel," Noah mumbled, holding out a present._

"_Hello Noah. What did you do to your hair? You look like a skunk," Rachel asked bluntly. She smoothed the front of her puffy party dress and checked to make sure her curls were in place as she waited for his response._

"_I can see your underwear in the reflection of your shoes," Noah retorted, crossing his arms, waiting for Rachel to make another comment about his cool new haircut._

_Rachel gasped, looking down at her shiny Mary Janes in horror, trying to see if she could see any of the gold stars on her underwear reflecting on her shoes. She looked back at her grandparents and aunt to confirm the validity of Noah's statement._

"_Noah! That's not nice! Say you're sorry! Rachel you look lovely," Aunt Rebecca assured her as Noah apologized, scowling._

"_And Rachel, Noah does not look like a skunk, say you're sorry," Nana admonished._

"_Sorry Noah," Rachel mumbled, annoyed at Noah for getting her in trouble at her own birthday party. Her annoyance soon turned to glee as she saw Brittany walk into the tent. She and Brittany had become friends in dance class, achieving best friend status when Rachel discovered Brittany's dancing was an excellent opening act for the shows she put on for her family. She ran to Brittany, pulling her over to the group. _

"_Nana, this is Brittany Susan Pierce. Tell Brittany the story," Rachel begged._

"_Hello, Brittany, I've seen you dance at Rachel's shows. You're a wonderful dancer," Nana said. "Rachel, why don't you introduce your friend to Noah and maybe I'll tell the story later. Don't you want to have fun at your party?"_

"_Brits, this is Noah, my cousin," Rachel said hurriedly, wanting to get the introductions out of the way, so she could tell Brittany about soul mates. "Nana says everyone has a soul mate, the person you're meant to be with. It'll be like meeting an old friend when you meet, like two magnets coming together,"_

"_I don't have a magnet. Should I start carrying one around?" Brittany asked Nana worriedly. The adults all exchanged a look of amusement at the serious looks on the girl's faces._

"_Girls, go have fun. Noah, what do you say we play some games?" Grandpa asked. Noah perked up, but immediately scowled when he heard Rachel whisper to Brittany that Noah looked like a skunk as they ran off._

_He'd come to the party in a bad mood, since he knew that Rachel and her dads had invited all the girls in her class but not the boys, which would make him the only boy at her party. His mood had gotten slightly better when Rachel had introduced him to Brittany. With her pretty blonde hair, she looked like Rachel's Barbie, the one he'd ripped the head off of. Rachel had insisted he play Barbies; it wasn't his fault that Ken got called off to war and had to go fight GI Joe, leaving Barbie alone and upset in the Dream House. Barbie had ended up a Prisoner of War, to the consternation of Rachel, who'd insisted that Barbie needed to dress in her best evening gown for jail. Barbie's Diva attitude and insistence of bringing her entire wardrobe to jail had caused Barbie to ultimately lose her head._

_The thought that Brittany might think he looked like a skunk put him back in a funk and his annoyance at Rachel grew. He snapped out of it a little when he and Grandpa played Whack-a-Mole. He beat Grandpa easily, pretending that the moles were Rachel, his mood improving with each whack._

_His Mohawk was cool. He did __**not**__ look like a skunk. All the girls in his class had wanted to touch it yesterday and he'd seen Brittany looking at it when Rachel was introducing him. Rachel was just stupid._

_He gave the next mole to pop up a particularly strong whack as he watched Rachel and Brittany walk past out of the corner of his eye. Rachel was making a point of holding her nose and fanning the air as she walked past him, while Brittany laughed._

_He scowled, completely forgetting about the game as his annoyance at Rachel and his bad mood grew in proportion to each other._

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><p><em>Rachel was having a great time at her party. She and Brittany had played all the games, bounced in the bouncy house, made fun of Noah when the Magician called him his 'lovely assistant' and eaten lots of cotton candy. The only thing they hadn't done yet was the Fortune Teller, who'd just arrived and was setting up. <em>

"_What are you going to ask Madame Serena?" Rachel asked as they waited for Madame Serena to officially open. _

"_I'm going to ask her what I'm having for dinner next week," Brittany decided, after thinking about it for a moment. "Or maybe when my cat is going to have kittens."_

"_Brittany, your cat is a boy. Only girl cats can have kittens," Rachel pointed out. She noticed Noah on line behind Brittany making faces at her and stuck her tongue out at him, still annoyed about his underwear comment._

"_I know, but Madame Serena can tell me when my cat is going to get married," Brittany explained. "What about you?"_

_Brittany's comment had given Rachel an idea. "I'm going to ask Madame Serena about my future, about my soul mate," she proudly announced. _

_Brittany clapped her hands excitedly. "That's such a good idea! Maybe Madame Serena can give you a magnet!"_

_Rachel smiled at Brittany's excitement, getting excited herself. She glanced behind Brittany expecting to see Noah still making faces at her, but he was nowhere to be seen._

"_Ok girls, who ees virst?" Madame Serena emerged from behind the curtain a few minutes later, heavily made up and wearing lots of bangle bracelets._

"_I am. I'm the birthday girl," Rachel announced, stepping through the curtain. She sat down on the chair, staring at the crystal ball on the small table._

"_Vat do you vant to know?" Madame Serena asked in her accented English._

"_I want to know about my future. How big of a star will I be?" Rachel demanded. "Also, I need to know other basic destiny stuff, like boys."_

_Madame Serena looked at her for a moment before moving her hands over the ball and mumbling something._

"_Ah, I see you big, big star in plays. Ach, vat is this?" Madame Serena cried._

"_What? What do you see? Do I only win one Tony?" Rachel asked nervously._

"_I see name," Madame Serena said calmly._

"_My name? Like on a marquee?" Rachel asked._

"_No. Is boys name. Is soul mate," Madame Serena explained._

"_Really? My soul mate? What's his name?" Rachel cried excitedly._

"_Sam Evans."_

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><p>Rachel turned onto her side, remembering the rest of the party. She'd confided Madame Serena's revelation to both Brittany and Nana. Brittany had been excited, while Nana laughed and told her that she can't rely on Madame Serena, since she was only doing a job, which did nothing to dampen Rachel's belief in Madame Serena.<p>

She and Brittany had discussed it for months, creating all sorts of visuals for what Sam looked like. Sam appeared in all their shows and plays, and he was always the groom when they played wedding. They spent hours discussing where and when Sam would come into her life, creating all sorts of wildly romantic yet childish situations for Sam to appear. Brittany was sure he'd appear on the playground one day as they waited on line for the slide, and they'd slide down side by side. Rachel was positive that he'd come into her life like Prince Eric from _The Little Mermaid_, saving her from something, after which she'd sing him a song.

As they grew older, they discussed Sam less. The exciting combination of middle school, cheerleading (Brittany) and school plays (Rachel) left them little time to fantasize about what Sam was doing at that moment. Only at their weekly sleepover did Sam's name ever come up. Deep into the night, the girls would discuss that fateful 8th birthday party, and allow themselves to indulge in the idea of Sam Evans.

It's possible that they eventually might have forgotten all about Sam Evans, if it wasn't for what Brittany cleverly referred to as the "Fortune Cookie Fortune" when they were 14.

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><p>"<em>Why didn't you get that skirt Brittany?" Rachel asked as they walked through the mall. "It was really pretty."<em>

"_I don't know, I liked the dress better I guess." Brittany shrugged. "Hey, isn't that your cousin?"_

_Rachel followed Brittany's gaze to see Noah leaning against a soda machine as he flirted with some girl. She rolled her eyes at that stupid Mohawk he still had._

_Noah spotted them at that moment and pushed the girl to the side as he came over, blatantly checking Brittany out. "S'up Rachel."_

"_Hello, Noah. You remember Brittany, right?" Rachel asked. Noah wouldn't go to the same school they did until high school, so he'd only seen Brittany a handful of times._

"_Call me Puck," he told Brittany as Rachel rolled her eyes at the ridiculous nickname. "What are you two chicks up to?"_

"_We have to meet Nana and Grandpa for lunch at House of Chung, __**Noah**__," Rachel said, emphasizing his given name. "Brits, did you know that __**Noah**__'s football team has never won a game? They're so bad that they had to resort to dancing on the field to distract the other team."_

"_Really? You dance?" Brittany seemed impressed as she stared at Noah, causing Rachel to gawk as her intended insult backfired in her face._

"_Noah looks like a monkey when he dances," Rachel said, snorting at the thought, causing Noah to seethe._

"_It's **PUCK**, Rachel," he said through gritted teeth. "And I don't look like a monkey. I'm a fantastic dancer. I killed on that football field, for your information."_

"_Please, I saw you. The only one worse than you was #5, the quarterback, __**Noah**__," Rachel retorted, deliberately taunting him. She could see how annoyed he was getting every time she mentioned his name._

_He opened his mouth to respond, before suddenly shutting it again, which made Rachel think he was up to something._

"_I'm supposed to meet Nana too," Noah announced, putting an arm around both girls and leading the way before Rachel could say anything, his mind thinking of ways to get back at Rachel._

_Lunch was uneventful, even with Noah's presence. Rachel soon forgot about their little spat, enjoying her lunch. The girls chatted with Nana, getting her to tell the romantic story of how she and grandpa had met and peppering her with questions about their wedding. Each time Nana mentioned a detail, the girls would sigh and then make plans for their own weddings._

"_Oooh, that's lovely. I think I want my bridesmaids in gold," Rachel said when Nana described her bridesmaids dressed in pale blue._

"_I'd like pale pink and brown…or maybe red…or green…" Brittany added, looking down at her shirt for inspiration. _

_Noah seemed to be bored by the discussions, frequently getting up to use the bathroom._

_The real excitement came when the fortune cookies were delivered. The little Asian owner of the restaurant always personally delivered the fresh baked fortune cookies, and today was no exception. _

_"You take fortune now," she said as she held out the plate of cookies. There were five of them, four vanillas and one chocolate. Rachel automatically reached for the chocolate one, knowing that she was the only one who liked the chocolate fortune cookies. The other four grabbed their fortune cookies as Grandpa paid the bill._

_Rachel and Brittany had a long standing tradition where they saved their fortune cookies and opened them in private. Once Nana had driven them back to Rachel's house, they raced up to Rachel's bedroom to open their cookies, Noah in tow._

"_You are going to have some new clothes," Brittany read aloud. "Hey! It already came true! I bought that dress and the hat today! What's yours say Puck?"_

"_If you want the rainbow, you must put up with the rain -D. Parton," Puck read aloud. "That's stupid." He crumpled the fortune up in his hands._

"_That's because you don't understand it, Noah," Rachel said. "It means you have to put up with the bad before you can get to the good."_

"_Thank you for explaining it to me, Professor X," Noah said sarcastically. "I never would have figured that out for myself. Why don't you open yours, Rachel, and explain it to us."_

_Rachel cracked her fortune cookie, pulling out the small slip of paper. "It says….Be open to love, for the one you love is outside your door. It's a quote by…" she gasped. _

"_What? What's the matter?" Brittany asked; concerned at how hard Rachel was gripping the paper._

"_It's a quote by…Sam Evans."_

"_Wow, your soul mate must be really famous to be in a fortune cookie!" Brittany exclaimed, very impressed as she clapped her hands excitedly. "How do you know what door though? You check Rachel's door, Puck and I'll check the closet door!"_

_Puck said nothing, watching Rachel intently._

_Her hands trembling, Rachel gripped the small piece of paper. "Brittany, it's a sign."_

_She and Brittany began squealing, while Noah stood there, an unreadable expression on his face._

* * *

><p>Some sign, Rachel thought as she continued tossing and turning. She crept out of bed and over to her desk, quietly pulling out a drawer and digging around until she found a worn envelope. She opened the envelope to find that familiar slip of paper.<p>

_Be open to love, for the one you love is outside your door –Sam Evans _

Rachel fingered the paper, reading over the words. She'd kept that fortune in an envelope in her drawer for years. Everywhere she went, she kept a sharp lookout for Sam, but he never appeared.

She dated off and on during high school and college, but no guy had ever made her feel like Grandpa had made Nana feel. She held out hope every time she went to a party that she'd see a man across the room and they'd connect in_ that_ way, but it had never happen.

The closest she'd come to finding Sam was when she met a Nick Evans her sophomore year of college. She'd attached herself to him, hoping he had a brother or cousin named Sam, but no such luck. For the rest of her college years, she searched vigorously, but no one named Sam ever crossed her path.

Maybe college had made her cynical, because she began to doubt those words Nana had told her and Noah all those years ago. "_You'll know" _Nana had promised her. So shouldn't she have known when she met Jesse that she'd be marrying him?

Climbing back into bed, she glanced at the clock again.

4:52.

She turned over yet again, Jesse's snores beginning to annoy her as she reflected on how Jesse had come into her life.

Shortly before she graduated, she'd begun auditioning for Broadway, fully expecting to take Broadway by storm. She'd been shocked when she was routinely rejected, despite her stellar voice. Eventually, she learned how to navigate the Broadway community, and began working on small off Off-Broadway plays, working her way up from there. She finally managed to crack Broadway when she landed a role in the swing cast of _How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying._ Jesse had already been working on the show for a year. 4 years older than her, he'd taken her under his wing, showing her the ropes the first couple of days. Rachel had been dazzled by his good looks and fantastic voice, and was thrilled when he asked her to dinner 6 months later.

It was only later when she was telling Brittany about him that the thought of a soul mate popped into her head.

"_How could you do that to Sam?" Brittany asked._

"_Do what?" Rachel replied, confused by the question._

"_When you met Jesse was it like magnets? Did he feel like you'd known him forever when you met?" Brittany demanded._

_Rachel considered her question. "I'm attracted to him," she finally answered._

"_That's because he's not your soul mate. Sam is," Brittany insisted. _

_Rachel's post college years had seen her trying to get rid of the illusion that was Sam, but Brittany had always staunchly believed in Sam and remained firmly convinced that he was coming. Brittany was confident that he'd appear one day when Rachel opened the door, since that's what the fortune cookie had said, always getting excited just before she'd open a door or heard a doorbell ring. _

_Rachel had stared hard at Brittany, unable to say anything. Her reaction seemed to satisfy Brittany, but the conversation had stayed in Rachel's mind for a long time._

The truth was, her relationship with Jesse was nothing like her grandparent's story. There were no looks across a crowded room or destiny intervening. It was just two coworkers spending inordinate amounts of time together, eventually deciding to date. Over time, she managed to convince herself that she'd forgotten about Sam Evans, yet every time she started a new play or went to a party, she still found herself inadvertently checking for Sam Evans.

What was she doing? She loved Jesse, she did. They were going to get married and be happy. So what if the 'how we met' story she would tell her grandchildren wouldn't be exciting? Who cared if she couldn't get rid of the thought that Jesse wasn't her soul mate?

She frowned, trying to eliminate the idea from her brain. It refused to leave her head, bouncing off the walls of her brain.

If the fortune cookie and the fortune teller were right, then _where was he_? Why hadn't he come into her life yet?

Even _Noah _had found his other half. Sure, Quinn could be bitchy at times, but she kept him in line, and more importantly, she got him to get rid of that stupid Mohawk in time for their wedding. Rachel had noticed how Noah acted around Quinn right from the beginning. With other girls, he'd tended to act like the relationship wasn't that important, that he couldn't be tied down, but that changed once Quinn came into the picture. She noticed how his eyes followed Quinn's every movement, and how he had a special smile just for her. He'd choked up when he'd seen Quinn walk down the aisle, unable to take his eyes off of her. When Quinn was pregnant, Rachel noticed a tender side of him that she'd never seen before. He'd taken it upon himself to do all the household work, so Quinn could relax and not be stressed, and he accompanied her everywhere in case she needed anything. In the months since Beth's birth, that side of Noah was on permanent display, he had no problems showing the world that he thinks both 'his girls' walk on water.

She tried to think of Jesse's facial expressions, trying to determine if he had a special smile reserved for her. She didn't think so. Jesse had what he called his "show smiles," smiles for fans, smiles for TV appearances, even smiles for auditions, but she didn't think he had a "Rachel Smile."

She couldn't believe it, but she wanted what Noah had. Noah had found his soul mate.

She wanted her Sam Evans.

"Where are you?" she whispered out loud.

"Rachel, I'm right here. _Go to sleep_. I have two shows tomorrow, and I need complete quiet," Jesse mumbled next to her.

She lay back on her pillow, trying to empty her head, choosing to focus on the wedding, eventually drifting off to a restless sleep. She woke up the next morning happy to realize that she'd been dreaming of her vows.

She was slightly troubled, however, when she realized she'd said "I, Rachel, take you _Sam" _in her dream.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: All the fortunes are actual fortune cookie fortunes. For those of you who wrote wondering where Finn was, he's on his way, and of course he's bringing Kurt with him.**_


	3. The Page of Fate

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>There is no such thing as an accident; it is <strong>__**fate**__** misnamed**__**. **_

_**-Napoleon**_

* * *

><p><strong><em>2 weeks to the wedding…<em>**

"I can't believe the florist hasn't called back yet. Doesn't she realize how vital it is that I speak to her about the exact shade of the roses in the centerpieces?" Jesse paced back and forth across the living room, glancing down at his phone repeatedly, willing the florist to call.

Rachel watched him, idly thinking that _she_ should be Bridezilla, not Jesse. "I'm sure she'll call back. It's only been fifteen minutes, and she probably has your other four messages."

Jesse stopped pacing to stare at her as if she had two heads. "_Rachel_. This is my wedding. Everything must be perfect. I'm a Broadway star, this wedding could get written up in a magazine. When I give an interview, they'll ask me about it. I _can't_ have mismatched flowers! The press would have a field day!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and went back to reading her book. Ever since his six month run as Curly in _Oklahoma!_ had ended, Jesse had completely taken over the wedding plans. His agent had called to inform him that he'd been offered the role of Professor Harold Hill in _The Music Man_, but due to financial problems, the show hadn't even started rehearsals yet. This left Jesse plenty of time to stress about things like flowers or yesterday's crisis, which was whether the bridesmaids should have matching dyed shoes. He'd been appalled when they'd hit the four month mark and Rachel _still_ hadn't found a dress.

Rachel had had to go back to Vera Wang six more times before she'd finally found '_the dress_.' Each time, despite Rachel's attempts to avoid her, she'd always had the same bridal consultant, the one Brittany had told about Rachel having a soul mate named Sam. Every appointment since then, the bridal consultant had constantly referenced her fiancée as Sam (_"Do you think Sam will like you in a ball gown?" "Oh, I think Sam will love you in this!")_. She'd given up correcting her somewhere around the eighth visit. Her last visit had finally resulted in success, to the relief of all. She'd been there for over two hours when she suddenly saw _it._

"_Alright, let's try this one." Audra gestured towards a huge ball gown. _

_Rachel looked around the show room, wrapping the complimentary robe tighter around her waist. Her eyes fell on a dress that another consultant had just placed on a mannequin. It was as if a spotlight had been turned on, because Rachel was unable to take her eyes off of it. "No. I want that one. That's the dress," she said firmly without even turning around _to look at the consultant_._

_Audra followed her gaze. "That one? Are you sure?"_

"_Positive." She stared at the dress, knowing without a shadow of the doubt that that was the dress she would marry in. Almost in a trance, she walked over to it. Rachel eyed the dress, a smile adorning her face as she fingered the simple lily of the valley embroidery that cascaded from the waist of the dress down to the hem._

"_Ok then, let's try it on."_

_The second she felt the cool material slip over her head, she knew she was right. Wearing this dress felt like coming home, like she was wearing her favorite comfortable fuzzy slippers and yoga pants. Brittany had actually started crying and Rachel felt tears forming in her own eyes._

_Audra looked on proudly. "See? I told you we'd find a dress that was like your soul mate. You knew the second you saw this dress that it was the one, just like I'm sure you knew your fiancé was the one. Sam's going to faint when he sees you in this!"_

_Rachel had stared at her in the mirror, the realization running through her head that she'd been more certain about her wedding gown than about Jesse._

She'd managed to get through the last couple of months on autopilot. She went to work, auditioned for various plays, spent time with her family and Brittany and in between, occasionally offering an opinion about the wedding, which had evolved from a small wedding to a grand affair at the Waldorf-Astoria. With Jesse micro-managing every detail, Rachel was left to her own devices, which mostly involved trying to forget the name Sam Evans.

Brittany hadn't been any help in that department. The bridal consultant's comment about soul mates and constant referencing of Sam put the whole episode back in the front of Brittany's mind and she remained as firmly convinced as ever that Sam was coming. She hadn't seemed to make the connection that Rachel's upcoming marriage would put an end to Sam Evans forever, chatting happily about Rachel and Sam to anyone who would listen.

"Finally!" Jesse exclaimed as his cell phone started ringing. He answered the phone, speaking immediately. "Why haven't you called me? I need to see a sample petal to make sure it coordinates perfectly with the napkins!"

He was so engrossed with his conversation that he didn't even notice Rachel grab her purse and wave to him as she walked out the front door.

"_What? What do you mean, the petals are blush pink? The napkins are fuschia!"_

Rachel rolled her eyes as she shut the door behind her. She needed to get away from wedding central for a while.

* * *

><p>"Rachel! Come on in!" Quinn exclaimed as she held open the door for Rachel.<p>

"Where's Beth? Is she sleeping?" Rachel asked, looking around for evidence of the four month old.

"She's upstairs with Puck. He'll be down soon. He's supposed to be giving her a bath and changing her into her pajamas," Quinn replied. In exchange for shaving his Mohawk off for their wedding, Quinn had to promise to call him Puck, reserving _Noah_ for when she was either truly angry or giving birth. "Want some tea?"

"Sure." Rachel followed Quinn into the kitchen, watching as she put the water onto boil. She stayed silent as Quinn placed a carton of milk, an empty mug and a teabag in front of her, before sitting down across from her.

"What's it like?" Rachel asked in a small voice

"What's what like?" Quinn questioned; a confused expression on her face.

"Marriage. Is it everything you thought it would be?" Rachel played with her empty mug, not looking Quinn in the eye.

Quinn looked hard at Rachel. "What brought this on? Are you getting cold feet?"

"No, I've just been thinking. Jesse has been so obsessed with this wedding, it's driving me crazy. I'm just wondering what he's going to do when it's over. Is he going to be this obsessed about our marriage?"

"Rachel-" Quinn was cut off by the screeching of the teapot. Giving Rachel another look, she got up and brought the teapot over, filling their cups. She sat back down, deep in thought.

"Rachel, I don't know what you think marriage is going to be like, but I can tell you that if it's the right person, all those annoying little things that drive you crazy won't matter. I'm married to a man who thinks it's funny to belch in my ear and insists on calling himself after a piece of sporting equipment, and I'm okay with it, because at the end of the day those little things don't outweigh the good in him."

"Did you know that you when you met him that you were going to marry him?"

"I knew that he'd have an important place in my life. I couldn't take my eyes off of him and it wasn't because of that stupid Mohawk." Quinn smiled at the memory. "I was just sitting at the bar with my friend Lauren, and he walked in. Lauren had said something to me, and I couldn't even answer. I watched him go over to some friends, and when he looked my way, our eyes just locked. He came over a few minutes later to ask me out."

"So when did you know?" Rachel stared at Quinn intently, her hands gripping the mug tightly.

"I think I had an idea on our first date, but I knew for sure fairly quickly after that. I found myself telling him things that _no one_, not my family, not my Sorority Sisters, knew. We spent all night talking, and it was like I was at a sleepover with my best friend."

Rachel frowned. She and Jesse had never stayed up all night talking, since Jesse was a stickler about getting the required eight hours of sleep in order to ensure an optimal performance. She'd never even told him about the whole Sam Evans debacle and there were other things she'd kept to herself as well.

Had Jesse kept stuff from her? Her frown increased at the thought.

She looked up as Noah came into the room, holding Beth, who was dressed in a baby version of the Metallica t-shirt Noah was sporting. "Hey Rachel," he greeted as he kissed the top of Quinn's head.

"Puck! She's supposed to be in her pajamas! Where did you even get this shirt?" Quinn admonished as she took Beth from her husband.

"She wanted to look badass like her old man," Noah said, shrugging as he got a bottle out of the fridge. "I can't help it if she looks up to me."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You sure you want this?" she asked Rachel teasingly. Rachel didn't answer, her eyes fixated on the little family in front of her.

"Like Jesse could ever be badass like me and Beth," Noah boasted as he sat down next to Quinn. He took Beth from her, beginning to feed the baby.

"Let me go get her pajamas. I'll be right back." Quinn jumped up from the table, running out of the room.

"You ready for the wedding?" Noah asked, as he stared down at Beth, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes, I guess so." Rachel took a small sip of her tea, cradling the mug as she looked at the father and daughter in front of her. She tried to picture Jesse with a baby, proud to be wearing matching t-shirts but found that she couldn't.

"Try not to sound so excited."

"I'm excited, I am…it's just…do you believe in soul mates?" Rachel blurted out. "How did you know Quinn was the one?"

Noah looked up from his daughter, arching an eye brow. "What's this about?"

"Just answer the question, Noah." Now that she'd asked it, she was sorry, but she honestly wanted to hear his answer.

"I knew she was different from all the other girls I'd dated. On our first date, she wouldn't let me get in her pants, and I couldn't care less. I was happy just to keep talking to her." He finished feeding Beth the bottle, placing her over his shoulder and patting her back.

"Would you say she's your soul mate?" Rachel insisted.

"Put it this way. She's the only one I would shave my mohawk for and be happy about it."

Rachel finished her tea. "I have to go. Tell Quinn I said bye." Giving Beth a kiss, she hurried out the door.

She needed to talk to Jesse about some things.

* * *

><p>"Jesse?" Rachel called out through Jesse's empty apartment.<p>

"In the bedroom!"

She hurried into the bedroom to see a large half filled suitcase open on the bed. "What's all this?"

"Great news! My agent called and I've been booked on all the big LA talk shows! Isn't this incredible?" Jesse frantically began throwing more clothes into the suitcase. "I've already informed all our wedding vendors to contact me in California. We're leaving tonight and won't be back until next week!"

"We are?" Rachel was thrilled. A quick vacation might be just what she needed. "I'll get my suitcase."

"Oh, Rachy," Jesse began; not noticing Rachel flinched at the hated nickname. She realized with a sickening feeling that that was yet another thing she'd never told him. "You're not going. It's just my agent and I."

"Oh." Rachel sat on the bed next to the suitcase. "Jesse? Do you ever picture yourself with children?"

"I take pictures with children all the time when I sign their playbills," he responded, holding up a blue shirt and a grey shirt for Rachel to choose between.

She pointed to the grey one, watching in surprise as he put the blue one in the suitcase.

"No, I mean picture yourself with our children. Don't you ever picture yourself feeding them?" Her mind flashed back to Noah and Beth in their matching t-shirts.

"Not really. Have you seen my loafers?" He bent down trying to see if the loafers were under the bed.

"Did you know you were going to marry me when you met me?" Rachel pressed on, determined to have this discussion.

"What are you, ten? Life's not a fairy tale Rachel; no one ever really knows that stuff when they first meet. Now, help me find my loafers, the limo will be here soon."

Rachel lay back on the bed, mulling over his words as she watched him pack. So it wasn't just her. Jesse hadn't known that he'd marry her when they first meet either. His comment about life not being a fairy tale resonated in her mind. Did he really believe that? Was he that jaded about life? Sure, life had thrown Rachel a few surprises and life lessons, but she'd always maintained a belief in her dreams.

She couldn't help but think that Sam Evans would have known the first time they met.

The thought left her feeling very disconcerted.

* * *

><p>Rachel looked out the window of the cab, not really noticing the scenery flashing by. Jesse had been gone for two whole days, and her life had gone on as usual. The only difference was that there were no freak outs about anything wedding related. Jesse had taken his immense wedding binder with him, prepared to deal with any potential crisis from his hotel room.<p>

Brittany had called her this morning asking if she'd take a ride to the airport with her to drop off Artie, so she'd have someone to ride back with. Rachel, bored out of her mind, had been more than happy to agree, since yesterday had been her last day of work before the wedding.

"What airline is it again?" Rachel asked as the cabbie pulled up to Terminal One at JFK.

"Air France," Brittany's husband Artie replied, causing Brittany to sniff. "B, I'll be back in five days. You've known about this business trip to Copenhagen for a month."

"I know, I just didn't think you'd actually go."

Rachel smiled as she got out of the car, leaving the husband and wife in the cab. The cabbie pulled Artie's wheelchair from the trunk, setting it up on the sidewalk, as Rachel pulled Artie's luggage out. She could hear snippets of the conversation coming from the cab.

"I promise I'll bring you back something. Copenhagen is where _The Little Mermaid_ was written, you know. I'll find you a mermaid doll ok?"

"What about Lord Tubbington? He's upset too. He told me."

"Like I would ever forget Lord Tubbington? Of course I'll bring him back something, Brittany."

Satisfied, Brittany got out, pulling Artie's wheelchair close so he could lift himself into it, as Rachel paid the cabbie. The trio headed inside the terminal, Brittany pushing her husband's wheelchair, while Rachel pulled his suitcase.

They headed over to security, which was where they'd have to say their goodbyes. Rachel said good bye and discreetly walked away, letting them have some privacy. She watched them out of the corner of her eye, thinking how different it was from her own goodbye scene 2 days ago. Jesse had hurriedly kissed her goodbye, barely giving her a hug before hurrying into the limo. Brittany was hugging Artie as if she'd never see him again, peppering his face with kisses, making his glasses sit askew on his face. Artie didn't seem to care, since he was hugging Brittany tightly.

"He's gone. What am I going to do for the next five days?" Brittany wailed as she came up next to Rachel. "I won't be able to sleep without him next to me. I never do when he's gone."

Rachel grabbed Brittany in a hug, thinking that she'd had no problem sleeping the last two nights and wondering if that was normal. She wondered if Noah or Quinn ever had trouble sleeping when one or the other wasn't there. Her thoughts flashed back to that long ago day when she'd heard the story of Nana and Grandpa. How had Nana managed to sleep at all knowing Grandpa was far away fighting and might _never_ come back to her? What would she do if Jesse ever went away for a long time? He was only leaving for a week, and she found it hadn't affected her life at all. She went to work, came home, watched TV and exercised on her elliptical, all things she did on any given day. She frowned at the thought that Jesse had no impact on her daily activities, not even with a phone call, which she just realized now. Shouldn't they be on each other's minds all the time? Shouldn't he have some impact on her daily activities? She knew Artie called Brittany everyday at 11:30, knowing that that was when Brittany finished teaching her dance class and went to lunch. Rachel had asked her about that specific time, and Brittany had explained that his phone call at 11:30 meant that they could eat lunch together, even if they were apart.

Jesse got upset if she called between acts and left a message on his cell phone, claiming that it took him out of character.

"You'll be fine, Brits. If you want, you and Lord Tubbington can sleep over at my apartment," she promised, as she hugged Brittany. "It'll be just like high school again."

Brittany opened her mouth to respond, but was drowned out by the PA system.

**"_Alitalia flight 476 passenger Sam Evans please report to your gate. Alitalia flight 476 passenger Sam Evans please report to your gate."_**

Rachel froze, not quite believing what she'd just heard, while Brittany's mouth dropped open in shock. The two of them stared at each other, unsure of what to do.

Without another word, Brittany turned and started running in the direction of Alitalia.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Bear with me, Finn's on his way very soon, I promise!_**


	4. Brittany Takes a Stand

_**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>There is no such thing as chance; and what seems to us a mere accident springs from the deepest source of destiny. <strong>_

_**-Friedrich Schiller**_

* * *

><p>"<em>Alitalia Flight 476 passenger Sam Evans please report to your Gate."<em>

The PA system reverberated through Rachel's head as she stood frozen to the spot, unable to move.

Sam Evans.

Sam Evan was _here._

She, Rachel Barbra Berry, was _finally_ in the same spot as her soul mate.

"Rachel! Come on!" Brittany's voice snapped Rachel out of her stupor.

Rachel stared dumbly at Brittany's retreating form for a moment before taking off a run after her. "Brittany! Wait!"

She managed to catch up with Brittany when she stopped to scan the Departures monitor, looking for Alitalia Flight 476.

"Come on Rachel, help me find it." Brittany's finger dragged down the monitor desperately searching for the desired information.

Rachel reached out and grabbed Brittany's hand. "Brits, wait."

"Rachel, what are you doing? Sam's here somewhere! We need to find him." Frantically, she resumed looking at the Departures monitor.

"Brittany, look at me." Rachel continued holding Brittany's arm, waiting until Brittany looked at her. "I'm marrying _Jesse_. Sam Evans is a popular name, it could be anyone, old or young. It could even be short for _Samantha._ Let's go." She started to turn, ready to go outside and get a cab, trying to convince _herself_ of what she was saying and doing a poor job of it.

"No."

Rachel turned to find Brittany standing in place, her arms crossed on her chest. "Excuse me?"

"Rachel, you've spent your entire life waiting for Sam Evans, and now that he's here, you're not going to do anything about it? I can't believe you. This is _Sam Evans. _Your_** s****oul mate**__, _the man you've been looking for, for _years_. Don't try to deny it; I know you've been thinking about him these last couple of months."

"It's just a coincidence, Brittany," Rachel said stubbornly, trying to convince herself of this at the same time.

"It's not. You know it and I know it. The Sam Evans who's here is _The One,_" Brittany insisted just as stubbornly. "Artie could have flown last night, but I couldn't bring him because of a dance class, so he booked a flight for tonight instead. Don't you see? If I had brought Artie here last night, we would have never known that Sam Evans was flying today. Things worked out this way for a reason." She looked pleadingly at Rachel. "Rachel, come on. I like Jesse, I really do, but if you don't do this, you're always going to wonder. I don't want you to settle because you were too afraid to do this."

Rachel stared at Brittany, her words sinking in. Was that what she was doing, settling? She'd spent_ years_ waiting for Sam Evans to appear. When he didn't, she'd eventually found Jesse, but was that settling? Was fear of settling the reason why she'd been thinking so much about Sam Evans?

She sighed. Brittany was right, if she didn't do this, she'd always wonder what if.

She looked at Brittany. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Once they found that Alitalia Flight 476 to Rome was at Gate 42, Rachel and Brittany headed off in that direction. Rachel's mind was going a mile a minute.<p>

This could be the _moment_.

The moment that Nana, Puck and Quinn had all talked about.

The moment she never had with Jesse.

She could just picture it. She'd arrive at Gate 42. Sam, who'd be reading a magazine as he waited to board, would look up and instantly lock eyes with Rachel. He'd stand up, the magazine falling forgotten to the floor. Sam would then walk over to Rachel, his eyes never leaving her face. He would close the distance between them and sweep her into a passionate kiss to the applause of everyone at the Gate.

Ok, maybe it wouldn't happen _quite_ like that, but she was sure it would be memorable nonetheless.

"Ticket and Passport?" the security officer asked, interrupting her daydream and holding out his hand.

"Huh?" Startled, Rachel looked at the officer's outstretched hand. She looked around, realizing they had come to the security checkpoint which only ticketed passengers would be allowed past.

"I need your ticket and passport now," the officer said in a bored voice.

"I, uh," Rachel stammered, not sure what to do. She looked at Brittany, who was looking at her. Great.

"Look, do you have it or not? I can't let you past if you don't have them," the officer demanded, now getting annoyed. He'd already dealt with some difficult patrons today, and these two couldn't even answer a simple question.

"She's not going anywhere, she just needs to see Sam Evans at Gate 42," Brittany responded helpfully.

"I don't care if she needs to see the president, if she doesn't have a ticket and a passport, she's _**not **_getting past this point. Now stop wasting my time and let people who actually _do_ have tickets go through." The officer gestured to the people behind them, taking their tickets and checking it against their passports.

"You don't understand, the man she's supposed to marry is on Alitalia Flight 476! It's her _soul mate_. She got his name from a Fortune Cookie! It's Fate!" Brittany babbled, ready to tell the whole story. "See when we were eight-" she began, only to be cut off by the Officer.

"I already told you two. I don't care if she got his name from a bowl of Alphabet Soup, no ticket, no getting through! Don't make me call security on you!" the Officer threatened, again motioning to the people behind them to come forward.

"But it's her soul mate!" Brittany cried, pushing her way in front again, pointing to Rachel who still hadn't said anything. "She _needs_ to get to Gate 42. The monitor said they're boarding now! In the movies, the heroine _always_ gets to go to the gate and arrives just in time to see her hero."

"Do I look like Steven Spielberg? This ain't the movies, lady. She should have gotten here earlier and saw him at the curb. Now _**move**_." He gestured to a nearby guard who immediately walked over to Brittany and Rachel.

"Let's go girls." The guard put a hand firmly on each of their arms escorting them away from the security checkpoint, depositing them near a Departures and Arrivals monitor.

Rachel stared at Brittany, sure that the rejection showing in Brittany's face mirrored her own. They'd been_ so_ close.

She glanced at the Departures monitor and saw that Alitalia Flight 476 to Rome had switched from '_boarding' _to '_departed.' _Even if they'd gotten past security, they still would have been too late.

Sam Evans was gone. She'd blown her date with destiny. The thought left a sinking feeling in her stomach as the realization set in that she'd never have that moment like Puck, Quinn and Nana all had. "Well, why don't we get a cab?" she said, her voice full of false cheerfulness that even she thought sounded hollow.

"You need to buy a ticket," Brittany announced determinedly.

"Right. I'm just going to buy a ticket and run to Gate 42. Look, it says 'departed.' He's already left, B," Rachel said, pointing to the screen. "It's over." She tried to put her arm through Brittany's, ready to lead her outside. She was startled as Brittany shook her arm free and refused to move.

"No. You _need_ to buy a ticket. Follow him to Rome. It's what has to happen. I know it." Brittany crossed her arms, prepared to dig in her heels. She knew Rachel could be incredibly stubborn, but she could be just as stubborn.

She _knew_ she was right about this, she just knew it. She'd been observing Rachel since she'd gotten engaged and although Rachel hadn't come out and said so, she knew Rachel felt that something was off. While Brittany had always believed in the idea of soul mates, having been lucky enough to find Artie in college, she felt that Rachel had become slightly disillusioned when Sam never appeared. Brittany had always felt that she was with Jesse for the sake of being with someone, knowing deep down that Jesse wasn't right, but afraid to dump him and begin her search again. She knew how affected Rachel had been by her grandmother's story, wondering why her love story wasn't like that, and Brittany wanted more for her best friend. She remembered the eight year old in the party dress, so excited about who Sam Evans was and wondering when he'd be coming. Now that he was finally here, Brittany was determined to get them together, regardless of what she had to do or what the consequences would be.

"Brittany, this is insane. It's one thing to get a look at him at a gate, but fly to another country?" Rachel protested, as her cell phone began ringing. She glanced at the phone, relieved to see Quinn's name on the screen. "Hey Q!"

Brittany yanked the cell phone out of Rachel's hand as soon as she realized who it was on the other side. "Quinn! Remember I told you about Rachel's soul mate Sam Evans? We were at the airport dropping Artie off and we heard the airline announcement asking for Sam Evans to report to his gate!...I know!...No, she's being stubborn as usual…Yeah, true…Anyway, we ran after him, but security wouldn't let us in and now he left…That's what I said!...oh, it's in my drawer…yeah, get all that." She cupped her hand over the phone to ask Rachel, "Where do you keep your passport?"

"In my nightstand," Rachel replied automatically. "Wait. Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Brittany didn't answer, waving her hand in annoyance as she went back to talking to Quinn. Her eyes flickered to the Departures Monitor before she said, "Next one is 7:40. She said her nightstand drawer…yeah, ok…see you soon!" Brittany hung up the phone, a satisfied look on her face.

"What's going on?" Rachel asked, following Brittany as she walked back through the airport.

Brittany didn't answer, seemingly on a mission to find something. She paused, looking around before striding off purposefully. Rachel hurried to catch up to her, not noticing that Brittany was marching up to the Alitalia ticket counter.

"Brittany! What's going on?" Rachel demanded as Brittany stepped up to the counter.

Brittany ignored her, addressing the ticket agent. "We need two tickets on your next flight to Rome."

"_What?_ You aren't serious!" Rachel exclaimed. "I can't go to Italy! I'm getting married in two weeks!"

Brittany apparently was dead serious, because she pulled out her Driver's License and American Express card and handed them to the ticket agent. "Exactly why you need to go Rachel! What if you're marrying the wrong man? I told you, you don't want to wonder _what if. _Quinn agrees with me. She's packing your stuff and mine right now and should be here soon."

"Brittany, I don't know if this is a good idea. I have a lot of stuff to do with the wedding," Rachel hedged.

"_Rachel._ You and I both know that Jesse has been a total Groomzilla and has taken over all wedding plans. He's in complete control, which leaves you plenty of time to go to Italy and find Sam Evans."

Seeing that the ticket agent was interested in their conversation, Brittany appealed to her. "Don't you think that if Rachel has the chance to meet her soul mate she should take it?" She quickly filled the agent in on the whole story.

"Honey, there's no such thing as coincidence. If it was me and I realized my soul mate was just here and I'd missed him, you bet your ass I'd be on the next plane out," the ticket agent said as she checked Brittany's Driver's License and processed her ticket. "Tell you what. Since you've got a date with Destiny, I'll upgrade you two to First Class free of charge. Just bring your luggage back to me when it gets here."

Brittany squealed at the prospect of First Class as the ticket agent handed Brittany a receipt to sign. She noticed Rachel gawking at the final cost. "Don't worry about the cost. It's all for the cause and besides, Artie will be thrilled to get all the mileage points."

Rachel, recognizing defeat, simply handed over her Driver's License and her credit card.

* * *

><p>"Rachel! Brittany!"<p>

"Finally!" Brittany exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat, the magazines she'd bought from the kiosk falling to the floor. Rachel quickly picked up the magazines and looked in the same direction, to see Quinn running their way pulling a suitcase in her hand behind her. Puck followed closely behind, pulling another two suitcases.

"How much did you pack?" Rachel exclaimed when Quinn got close enough.

"One of them's mine. I'm coming with you two," Quinn exclaimed, pausing to catch her breath.

"What kind of Bachelorette Party is this?" Puck demanded as he walked up to the trio. "Talk about last minute."

Rachel and Brittany exchanged confused looks, as Quinn calmly answered. "Well, Brittany planned it."

"Say no more," Puck said, all too familiar with Brittany's hair brained plans. "I still remember the birthday party she threw for Rachel but forgot to invite Rachel."

"I _told_ you, it was a surprise. If I told Rachel to show up, she'd have known about the party," Brittany said defensively, explaining about that party for the umpteenth time. "Besides, you went and got Rachel, so she came anyway. I still don't know what the big deal is about that party."

"Whatever B, only you." Puck shook his head, laughing as he turned to his wife, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You sure you got everything? Everyone has their passports?"

"We have everything. Now go. Have fun eating take out in bed, watching sports till all hours with Mike and all the other things you do when I'm not there and don't ever want to know about. Take good care of Beth," Quinn directed, kissing Puck after each direction. "Do _not_ do anything to her hair."

"Only if you promise not to bring home some buff Italian guy," Puck said teasingly.

"I can't make any promises about that," Quinn said, her eyes dancing in merriment as she wrapped her arms around her husband. "I need a souvenir of the trip after all."

"Then there's a possibility Beth may have a new badass hairstyle when you come home," Puck responded, hugging her to him tightly as he stroked her hair. He let go of Quinn and quickly hugged Rachel and Brittany, telling them to have a good time. "Call me when you land," he told Quinn, giving her one final kiss.

Once again, Rachel was struck by the difference between this goodbye and her own with Jesse. Quinn and Puck may have had a friendly banter going, but she could see the underlying sadness at the idea that they were going to be separated for a while. She watched as Puck walked out the door of the terminal, turning to give Quinn one last wave.

Jesse hadn't even looked back.

"Bachelorette Party?" Rachel asked, arching an eyebrow as she began pulling her suitcase

"Well I couldn't tell him what you're really up to. You _know_ he's got a big mouth. Your entire family would know in a matter of minutes!" Quinn said as she walked over to the counter to buy her ticket.

The same ticket agent that had helped Brittany and Rachel smiled when she saw them coming. "We have our luggage now!" Brittany announced cheerfully as she handed the suitcases over. "And Quinn needs a ticket too."

"You going to find your soul mate also?" the agent asked with a smile.

"I've already got one of those. I'm going as support and as a knowledgeable tour guide. My family used to go to Italy every summer," Quinn explained, handing over her credit card and ID, watching as the woman processed it.

"Ok, you're all set. First Class for you too. Flight 701 leaves from Gate 47. If you want, since you have a First Class ticket, you can go to the special bar we have for our _Magnifica_ Class, since they won't start boarding for about forty-five minutes." She handed Quinn her ticket, watching as Brittany practically dragged Quinn away from the counter.

"Good luck!" she called as the girls ran towards security.

* * *

><p>"You two again? I already told you; you need a ticket." The same security officer from before sighed, rubbing his temples.<p>

"For your information, we have tickets, as well as the necessary documentation," Rachel said haughtily. Now that she was fully invested in this adventure, she was in a rush to get onto that plane.

"Really? You get them out of a Fortune Cookie too?" the security officer asked sarcastically. He looked past them to Quinn, holding out his hand for her ticket and passport. Checking them, he gestured to let her go through towards the metal detector area.

"No, the computer," Brittany answered seriously.

"Well, where are they?" the security officer demanded, losing patience with them, as were the people behind Brittany and Rachel. Quinn was already through the metal detector and was gathering her stuff from the x-ray machine. "Or do I need to have you removed _again?_"

"No, here they are," Rachel said hastily, shoving her ticket and passport at the man. He examined it minutely, occasionally glancing between the passport photo and Rachel's face as he marked the ticket.

She blushed, knowing that her passport photo wasn't the greatest. The teenaged photographer at CVS had been in a hurry to take the picture and go on break. He'd taken the photo almost as soon as she sat down, causing her to appear leaning towards the camera with a strange expression on her face in the photo. He refused to take the picture again, despite her protests that she had seventeen different poses prepared.

"Alright, you can go. Got your fortune cookies packed?" he asked as he began examining Brittany's ticket and passport. He didn't take nearly as long on hers, simply marking it and then handing it back to her.

Rachel ignored him, running towards the metal detector. She and Brittany threw their stuff down on the belt of the x-ray machine, quickly took off their shoes, and went through the metal detector, where Quinn was waiting on the other side.

"Want to tell me what that was all about?" she asked curiously as they gathered their stuff and headed towards the bar the ticket agent had told them about.

"That security officer is the reason why we missed Sam before," Brittany explained. "I don't think he's found his soul mate yet. If he did, he would have understood and let us through."

Quinn laughed, holding the door of the bar open for the other two. Showing their First Class tickets, they were escorted to a private table. "Ok, so what's the plan?" she asked as she sat down, ignoring the men who were blatantly ogling them from the next table.

"We go to Italy and find Sam," Brittany said, looking at Quinn like she had two heads.

"Yes,but how? He could be anywhere in Rome." Quinn looked from Brittany to Rachel, who paled, realizing what Quinn meant. Sam's flight was almost two hours ahead of theirs. He'd be well out of the airport and somewhere in Rome by the time their flight landed.

Quinn sighed. Obviously they hadn't thought past buying their tickets and getting on the plane. "It's a good thing I'm here then." She checked her watch, frowning at the time as she mentally figured out the time difference in her head. "She should still be up," she muttered to herself.

She pulled out her cell phone, dialing a lot of numbers before putting it up to her ear. "_Pronto? Zia Antonia! Sono Quinn! Come stai?...Sì…Ascolta, sto cercando…."_ Rachel and Brittany both stared, their jaws on the floor when they realized that Quinn was apparently having a whole conversation in Italian. "_Va bene…ciao!" _

Quinn hung up the phone a smug look on her face. "What? I told you, I spent my summers in Italy with my mother's relatives." She shrugged. "It's a good thing I did, because my Aunt Antonia is going to call around to hotels to see if she can find out where Sam Evans is staying and then she'll call us back."

The girls had just placed their drink orders when Quinn's cell phone rang. "_Pronto?"_ Quinn listened intently for a few moments, waving her hand in the air as if she was writing something. Brittany seemed confused, but Rachel understood and dug in her purse for a pen and paper. Quinn scribbled something, still listening to her aunt. She hung up the phone, a satisfied expression on her face. "Aunt Antonia says he's staying at the _Hotel Cavalieri _in Rome."

Brittany began squealing, but stopped when Quinn held up her hand. "What's the problem?"

"She says it's a Five Star Luxury Hotel, big bucks. Apparently it's got some world famous spa in it."

"Well Rachel _needs_ to stay there. She's got to be near Sam," Brittany insisted. "Cost doesn't matter when it comes to destiny." She sat back for a moment deep in thought. "Maybe we could combine credit cards?"

"Don't worry about it, Nana just gave me some money last week. She told me to do something frivolous with it, and if this isn't frivolous, I don't know what is," Rachel said, smiling at the memory. She'd thought it weird at the time, but looking back, maybe Nana knew that this was going to happen.

"_Coming!" Rachel called as she walked towards the door. "Nana! I didn't know you were coming over!" she exclaimed when she opened the door._

"_I have something for you." Nana strolled in and sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to her for Rachel to sit._

"_What?" Rachel asked._

"_When I was just about to get married, my father, your great grandfather, pulled me to the side about a month before the wedding. 'Connie, he'd said, you're very young to be getting married. I know that you don't doubt he's the one for you, and neither do I, but I want to give you something.' He handed me a check for one thousand dollars, a huge amount of money at the time, with the instructions that I was to do something purely for me. 'I don't understand,' I'd told him. 'Connie, from this point on, you'll be doing things together or for your family. Never again will you have the chance to do something just for you. Go shopping if you want, travel, do whatever, just make sure you do it for you."_

_Rachel had stared at her. "So what did you do?"_

_Nana smiled. "Well there was a war going on, so I couldn't go to Europe liked I'd always dreamed, but my friend Margaret and I went to Hollywood once it was safe to. I'd always secretly dreamed of being the next Vivien Leigh, and I was obsessed with Gone with the Wind. I'd spend hours poring over the celebrity magazines. Grandpa wasn't too happy about it, but I explained that I'd always wanted to see Hollywood and I was supposed to do this before I was married. Oh, Rachel, what a time we had! We stayed in the finest hotel in Los Angeles and danced all night in clubs. We went all over Hollywood and even saw Clark Gable! I'll never forget it." She smiled, lost in her memories. "Your Grandfather and I decided a long time ago that we were going to do the same for each of our children and grandchildren. And that's why I'm here. I want to give you the same opportunity to have an adventure that my father gave me."_

_Rachel stared in astonishment as Nana gave her a check for ten thousand dollars. "There's only two rules. One: Do whatever you want. Travel, get a boob job, hire a hitman to take out your arch enemy, just make sure it's something for you and you alone." _

_Rachel nodded, laughing at the idea of hiring a hitman. "What's the other rule?"_

"_The second rule is easy. You can't ask or tell anyone about this, until you've decided what you want to do. Don't ask Jesse, he'll influence you to do something he wants and don't ask anyone else either. This check will only clear if it's something that only you want," she'd joked._

_Rachel's eyes misted over as she hugged Nana. "Thank you, Nana. I don't know what to say."_

"_Don't say anything, just do it. I've got to go, Grandpa's waiting downstairs." Nana walked towards the door. She paused, her hand on the knob, and turned to look at Rachel. "You know, you could even chase a long lost dream if you wanted to." _

_With that final piece of advice, Nana had walked out the door, leaving Rachel to sit and ponder what she was possibly going to do for herself._

"I remember that from when Puck and I got married," Quinn said, smiling. "Puck bought an 50th Anniversary Gibson Les Paul 1960 electric guitar. He's always wanted one." She rolled her eyes. "I think if there was a fire, he'd have to think twice about what to save, me or that guitar. It's like his other baby. Are you sure this is what you want to use the money for?"

"Positive." Rachel nodded her head firmly. "Nana used her money for an adventure, I'm going to do the same. When else am I going to get the chance to chase a man I've never met halfway around the world in the name of Destiny with my friends? I think Nana would be proud."

The waiter arrived with their drinks just then, along with a round of shots that the men at the next table had ordered for them. Raising her shot glass in salute to the men, she waited until Brittany and Quinn raised theirs also. "Let's toast!" she cried, getting caught up in the spirit of adventure.

"To Destiny!" She clinked her shot glass against Brittany's and Quinn's, who both echoed her toast. Quickly, they downed their shots.

The adventure had begun.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we're going to Italy!" Brittany squealed as she sank into the plush leather of her seat. "Do you believe these seats turn into beds?" I'm never flying coach again!"<p>

She sat up suddenly, a worried expression on her face. "Lord Tubbington! He's going to be so upset I left him alone! He'll hold a grudge, I know it. This'll be like the time I poured tap water in his bowl, instead of the Evian he demands. He didn't come out of his cat chalet for a week," she fretted.

"Don't worry, he's staying with Puck and Beth," Quinn assured her, relaxing into her own seat just across the aisle and buckling her seatbelt. She looked at Rachel in between them. "You ready for this?"

Rachel shook her head. "This is crazy. I've waited my whole life to meet Sam Evans and yet I can't believe we're doing this." She was almost in a state of shock. Out of all the ways she'd ever pictured Sam Evans coming into her life, and there had been a _lot_, never in her wildest dreams did she think it would involve chasing him halfway around the world.

"What did you tell Jesse?" Quinn asked curiously.

"Nothing. He's in California," Rachel answered honestly. She was afraid to tell Quinn and Brittany that it never even crossed her mind to call him. What kind of wife-to-be was she? How could it completely slip her mind to let her fiancé know that she was leaving the country? Shouldn't that have been her first action? Brittany had already texted Artie a picture of herself holding her ticket excitedly and Quinn was texting Puck right now to ask for a Beth update and let him know they were about to take off.

She'd never even taken her cell phone out of her purse.

"_Benvenuti_! Welcome to Alitalia!" a flight attendant interrupted as she handed out complimentary duvets and pillows. "_Mi chiamo Alessandra_. My name is Alessandra. _Parlate italiano_? Do you speak Italian?"

"No, only she does," Rachel answered, pointing to Quinn. Alessandra said something to Quinn in Italian, making Quinn smile as she responded in Italian.

Alessandra turned and smiled at Rachel and Brittany. "We'll be moving momentarily, please buckle your seatbelts," she said before moving onto the next row.

Rachel closed her eyes as she felt the plane slowly start to back up and leaned her head against the seat. She needed a moment to take this in, Nana's words bouncing around in her head.

_You know, you could even chase a long lost dream if you wanted to._

This was it. She was really doing this. She was leaving to chase something that had followed her for years.

In a way it was like her dream of being on Broadway. She'd been biding her time in the background, knowing that one day, she'd be the lead role, the one winning all the Tonys. Yes, Jesse treated her well, but she'd always been acutely aware of the difference in their careers. Jesse had stumbled into his lead role of Curly by sheer happenstance. He'd just begun being the understudy when the actor playing Curly broke his ankle, forcing Jesse to step in. The producers had been thrilled with Jesse's performance, and had simply signed him to a six month contract without so much as an audition. Meanwhile, she'd been on _hundreds_ of auditions, fighting for every role that she got, knowing that it was taking her one step closer to her dream of being a leading lady.

Brittany had once told her that Artie made her feel like a leading lady, and somehow she felt like, at last, sitting on this plane, she was on her way to feeling like that too.

The plane was moving now. She watched as the Flight Attendants went through the safety routine, demonstrating how to properly inflate the life jackets. She looked at Quinn who was reading the new issue of _Cosmo_, and then at Brittany, who was checking to make sure she had a life jacket under her seat.

Brittany, satisfied that there was in fact a life jacket under her seat, looked at Rachel. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Brittany, just excited to go to Italy."

"You mean to see Sam Evans," Brittany corrected, now checking to see where the oxygen masks were located. The Flight Attendants had finished their presentation and were now buckled into their own seats, prepared for takeoff.

"Right, that too." The plane picked up speed, heading down the runway. Brittany grabbed Rachel's hand, squeezing it as the plane hurled into the air.

There was no going back now. No matter how many times she told herself that she was just going to go to Italy, get a look at Sam and then come home, she knew what this really was: she was heading towards her destiny.

Towards Sam Evans.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: The girls are on their way! Finn's making his debut in the next chapter, I swear. I tried to fit a small scene of him and Kurt in here, but Kurt was being a little difficult and demanded a bigger scene.**_


	5. Rachel Dreams and Carole Schemes

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine._**

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Songs and smells will bring you back to a moment in time more than anything else. It's amazing how much can be conjured with a few notes of a song or a solitary whiff of a room. A song you didn't even pay attention to at the time, a place that you didn't even know had a particular smell."<strong>_

_** — Emily Giffin, "Something Borrowed"**_

* * *

><p>"Champagne?"<p>

Rachel looked up at the flight attendant in surprise. "Yes please."

The flight attendant handed her the champagne flute, leaving one for a sleeping Brittany also. Rachel took a sip, letting the champagne calm her nerves. She pulled her iPod out of her bag, ready to relax in her plush seat and get her mind off of things.

Scrolling through her extensive collection of songs, she decided to put her iPod on shuffle. Rachel had always liked the idea of the shuffle option. She'd once told Jesse that she liked to put her iPod on shuffle as she got ready for the day, feeling that whatever songs came on would dictate how her day went. Happy, upbeat songs meant she'd have a good day, while sad songs or songs she associated with a bad memory meant that she was probably better off staying in bed. She liked to think of it as her own secret version of a Magic Eight Ball.

Jesse had laughed outright at this, claiming it was one of the stupidest things he'd ever heard. She should have known he'd think it was stupid, since Daniel Powter's _'Bad Day' _had been the first song to come on that morning, followed immediately by Queen's _Another One Bites the Dust,_ which was the song she and Brittany had always played when there was a breakup or dumping, therefore having negative connotations.

Curious to see what the iTunes Gods came up with for her impromptu trip to Italy, she finished off her champagne and pressed shuffle, closing her eyes and leaning back into the seat. Her eyes flew open at the opening notes of the song it chose to play.

It was a sign.

The iTunes Gods were trying to send her a message. Rachel's heart started pounding as the words flowed from the headphones to her ears.

_**I'm not surprised, **__**not everything lasts  
>I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track<br>Talk myself in, I talk myself out  
>I get all worked up, then I let myself down<strong>_

_**I tried so very hard not to lose it  
><strong>_ _**I came up with a million excuses  
><strong>_ _**I thought, I thought of every possibility**_

_**And I know someday that it'll all turn out  
><strong>_ _**You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out  
><strong>_ _**And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get  
><strong>_ _**I just haven't met you yet**_

_**I might have to wait, I'll never give up  
><strong>_ _**I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck  
><strong>_ _**Wherever you are, whenever it's right  
><strong>_ _**You'll come out of nowhere and into my life**_

_**And I know that we can be so amazing  
><strong>_ _**And, baby, your love is gonna change me  
><strong>_ _**And now I can see every possibility**_

_**And somehow I know that it'll all turn out  
><strong>_ _**You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out  
><strong>_ _**And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get**_ _**  
>I just haven't met you yet<strong>_

_**They say all's fair** **i****_n _love and war  
><strong>_ _**But I won't need to fight it**_  
><em><strong>We'll get it right and we'll be united<strong>_

_**And I know that we can be so amazing  
><strong>_ _**And being in your life is gonna change me  
><strong>_ _**And now I can see every single possibility**_

_**And someday I know it'll all turn out**_  
><em><strong>And I'll work to work it out<br>**_ _**Promise you, kid, I'll give more than I get**_  
><em><strong>Than I get, than I get, than I get<strong>_

_**Oh, you know it'll all turn out  
><strong>_ _**And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out  
><strong>_ _**And I promise you kid to give so much more than I get**_  
><em><strong>Yeah, I just haven't met you yet<strong>_

Rachel frowned, trying to figure out what it meant. She'd always loved this song, with its peppy upbeat piano accompaniment. It reminded her of old movies and Broadway shows where Fred Astaire sees Ginger Rogers across the room and they begin making their way towards each other and they immediately begin a perfectly choreographed dance of love. Just like everyone **_but_ **Rachel and Jesse, the characters in the movies and musicals had _known_. Lord knows she made Noah, and later on Brittany, perform those dances in her fathers living room often enough when they were younger, just in case she was at the Prom or something and Sam Evans was there.

Did it mean she was doing the right thing? That she was right to chase after Sam? She decided to give it one more song before she really contemplated it. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat once again, recognizing one of her favorites from the musical _Guys and Dolls_.

_**SKY**__**(spoken):**__ It is nice to know Miss Sarah that somewhere in the world is a guy who might appeal to you. I wonder what this guy will be like._

_**SARAH (spoken)**__: He will __**not**__ be a gambler._

_**SKY (spoken)**__: I'm not interested in what he won't be. I am interested in what he __**will**__ be._

_**SARAH (spoken)**__: Don't worry. __**I'll know**__.  
><em>_For I've imagined every bit of him  
>From the strong moral fiber to the wisdom in his head<br>To the home-y aroma of his pipe _

_**SKY**__: You have wished yourself a Scarsdale Galahad  
>The breakfast-eating, Brooks-brothers type. <em>

_**SARAH**__: Yes, and I shall meet him when the time is right._

_**SKY**__** (spoken)** You've got the guy all figured out. _

_**SARAH**__** (spoken)** I have. _

_**SKY**__** (spoken)** Including what he smokes. All figured out, huh? _

_**SARAH **__(**spoken)** All figured out.  
><em>_I'll know when my love comes along  
>I won't take a chance<br>I'll know he'll be just what I need  
>Not some fly-by-night Broadway romance.<em>

_**SKY: **__And you'll know at a glance by the two-pair of pants. _

_**SARAH: **__I'll know by the calm steady voice  
>Those feet on the ground<br>I'll know when I run to his arms  
>That at last I've come home safe and sound<br>Until then, I shall wait  
>Until then, I'll be strong<br>Oh, I'll know, when my love comes along._

_**SKY**__** (spoken)** No, no, no! You are talking about love! You can't dope it like that. What are you picking, a guy or a horse? _

_**SARAH**__** (spoken)** I wouldn't expect a gambler to understand._

_**SKY**__** (spoken)** Would you like to hear how a gambler feels about the big heart throb? _

_**SARAH **__**(spoken)** No! _

_**SKY **__(**spoken)** Well, I'll tell you.  
><em>_Mine will come as a surprise to me._  
><em>Mine I leave to chance and chemistry.<em>

_**SARAH**__** (spoken)** Chemistry? _

_**SKY **__**(spoken)** Yeah, chemistry.  
><em>_Suddenly I'll know when my love comes along  
><em> _I'll know then and there  
><em> _I'll know at the sight of her face  
><em> _How I care, how I care, how I care  
><em> _And I'll stop. And I'll stare._

_And I'll know long before we can speak  
><em> _I'll know in my heart.  
><em> _I'll know and I won't ever ask  
><em> _Am I right, am I wise, am I smart.  
><em> _And I'll stop. And I'll stare.  
><em> _At that face. In the throng.  
><em> _Yes, I'll know when my love comes along  
><em> _I'll know_ _When my love comes along._

There was no mistaking it. The two songs together were definitely a sign. Her heart started pounding at the thought. She grabbed the still sleeping Brittany's champagne glass and downed it, slamming the glass back on the arm rest between them as she thought about the words of the two songs.

**_Wherever you are, whenever it's right You'll come out of nowhere and into my life_**

Was this it? Was this the right moment? She'd heard the name at the airport, but had just missed him, so that obviously wasn't the moment. Fate was surely guiding her towards that moment, but what would happen then? Would she really just know like the songs promised? Noah, Quinn and Nana all knew, as did Brittany and Artie. Brittany had once said that the night they met, she had felt Artie's eyes on her as she danced in a college showcase in which he was playing in the band. He'd actually been filling in for another guitarist that night and normally wouldn't have been there, but he was and had been unable to look at anything else. Brittany; completely focused on her dancing and conveying the emotion of the dance, still managed to have _the moment_ when her eyes flickered over to Artie for just a second_._

**_And I'll know long before we can speak I'll know in my heart._**

This just reinforced her earlier worries. Jesse hadn't known when they met that they'd gotten married, and neither did she. And she certainly hadn't known it before she ever spoke him, let alone in her heart.

Yet they all knew. How? What was she missing from her relationship with Jesse that they all had? Like Brittany and Artie, Noah and Quinn had met in college, was that it? No, that couldn't be it. It had to be something more.

But _what was it_?

She and Jesse did all the same things Quinn and Noah and Brittany and Artie did. They went out to eat with friends all the time, cuddled together as they watched all of the movies that they loved, and he often brought her flowers or candy. Sure, he always ate the candy himself and brought her roses even though her favorite flowers were lilies, but it was the thought that counted right? So what if the 'friends' they went out to eat with were mostly Jesse's and the movies they watched were Jesse's picks?

She heard Brittany mumble something about Artie from the seat next to her. Rachel glanced at her, thinking about how Brittany and Artie had a standing date night. It was well known among their group that they would be unavailable for any plans on Tuesday nights because they were on a 'date', even if they didn't leave their house.

Rachel snuck a peek at Quinn, who'd placed a sleep mask over her eyes and was sleeping peacefully. She remembered how Noah had sent Quinn flowers every day for the two weeks leading up to their wedding, each day with one less flower in the bouquet. It had served as Quinn's unofficial countdown and the lone flower that arrived on her wedding day was immediately worked into her bouquet.

The only thing Jesse had given her in the last few days was his dry cleaning receipt to pick up his clothes and a half eaten Falafel. He'd bought the Falafel for her, but had gotten hungry on the way home.

She eyed the untouched glass of champagne next to Quinn. Leaning over, Rachel grabbed it, once again downing it, trying to find the answer in the bubbles.

Unfortunately, the only thing the champagne seemed to be telling her was not to drink anymore, since her stomach began flip-flopping, whether from nerves about Sam, doubts about Jesse or just the champagne, she wasn't sure.

She wasn't sure which made her retch into the barf bag, either.

The noise woke Brittany, who immediately became concerned. "Why are you puking?" she asked as she patted her back.

Rachel looked over at Brittany, just shrugging in response.

"You're nervous about Sam aren't you?"

Rachel shrugged again. "Are you sure I'll know?"

"Positive. That's what happens when soul mates meet," Brittany said, firmly convinced. "What do you think he looks like? Do you think he'll be like we always pictured?"

"I highly doubt he'll look like a Backstreet Boy," Rachel said, unable to help the small smile that emerged on her face.

"True, but I bet he's handsome," Brittany conceded. She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder what he's doing right now?"

* * *

><p>Finn groaned as he pulled the piles of suitcases off the tour bus and towards the hotel. "God, Kurt, did you leave <em>anything<em> at home?" He glanced at the two suitcases he was pulling (only one of which was his), each loaded down with another suitcase on top, as well as a small satchel.

Kurt, who was holding only a suit bag and a small train case, looked back at his brother as he lowered his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. "How many times do I need to tell you that plaid _anything_ just doesn't work for me, unlike you? I'm in one of the most fashionable places in the world; I _need_ to be prepared for every fashion situation that may arise." He pushed his sunglasses back up his nose, turned and walked towards the door of the _Hotel_ _Cavalieri_.

_Thank God_ Rome was the last stop on this tour. Finn was ready to shove Kurt into one of his beloved Louis Vuitton suitcases and leave him unclaimed at the airport. If he had known that he'd be Kurt's personal Bell Hop for the duration of this two week tour, he'd _never_ have agreed to this, no matter how much his mom begged.

"Finn! Hurry up! We need to get our room key and then I want to check out the spa before I head over to Via Condotti to shop!"

Finn glared at him, panting from the exertion of dragging Kurt's monster suitcases in addition to his own.

He was starting to think Blaine broke his leg on purpose.

How had he gotten here? Three weeks ago, he was home and planning to teach Summer School. One dinner with his mother and instead of teaching Summer School, he was pulling Kurt's monster suitcases all over Italy.

"_Mom?" Finn called as he let himself into his parent's house. He could smell something cooking in the kitchen, so he headed that way. Sure enough, his mom was at the stove, stirring something in a pot._

"_Oh, Finn there you are! I was wondering when you'd get here," Carole exclaimed, pulling her son's face down to kiss his cheek. "Dinner's almost ready. Kurt and Burt are out back, can you go get them?"_

_Obediently, Finn headed to the yard, greeting Burt and Kurt and announcing that dinner was ready. _

_Finn was glad his mom had called and invited him to dinner. His own cooking was subpar and he always looked forward to having dinner at his parent's house knowing he'd actually be eating decent for once._

_He sat down at his traditional spot at the table, as did Burt. Kurt came in a few minutes later, wheeling Blaine into the dining room. "Hey, man, how's the leg?" Finn asked, giving Blaine a fist bump in greeting. Blaine had broken his leg in three different places a few weeks earlier when he slipped and fell down a flight of stairs. He'd been in the hospital for a week, and had been home with a nurse ever since._

"_Not good. Painkillers are not helping anymore." Blaine grimaced as he looked down at his leg, clad in a cast from foot to mid-thigh._

"_That sucks, I remember that." Finn shuddered, remembering his own broken ankle. "Oh, hey! Mom, you made your mac n cheese? Awesome!"_

_Finn, his mind diverted from Blaine by his mom bringing in one of his favorite Mom made meals, immediately sat down at his seat and grabbed his fork, prepared to dig in. He watched as his mom uncovered the rest of the dishes, noting with glee that she'd made all of his favorite foods, even the ones she normally only made at holiday times. _

_And not a vegetable in sight. Score._

_Carole waited until Finn had loaded up his plate and was halfway through, before clearing her throat and exchanging looks with Kurt, Burt and Blaine. "So Finn, school's almost over. Have you thought about what to do with your summer off?"_

_Finn looked up at her, his answer incoherent due to a mouthful of mac n cheese. He swallowed and shrugged. "Not really. I might teach Summer School."_

"_Kurt and Blaine are going to Italy, you know," Carole continued carefully._

"_Yeah, I heard. You're leaving soon aren't you?" Finn asked Kurt as he now munched on a slice of homemade pizza, waiting for Kurt's reply._

"_Two weeks," Kurt replied, exchanging another look with Carole. _

_Finn happily continued eating, oblivious to the looks being exchanged around the table._

"_Blaine has to have surgery on his leg next week, did you hear?" Carole asked, choosing her words carefully._

"_Really? That really sucks. You gonna be ok to travel?" Finn asked, walking right into Carole's trap._

"_No. I'll still be in the hospital," Blaine responded sadly._

"_And they can't get their money back, Finn. Isn't that horrible?" Carole continued, glancing at Burt meaningfully._

"_Yeah," Finn glanced at his mother, wondering why she was making Blaine feel worse. _

"_So, Kurt, what are you going to do?" Burt asked, getting his cue from Carole to deliver his one line in this scripted scene. "It would suck to lose all that money."_

_Finn, still oblivious, happily scooped out some more mac n cheese, along with some of his mom's kick ass Buffalo Wings. He looked up as Kurt sighed and flipped a strand of hair back._

"_Don't think I didn't see you grab that chicken wing Dad," Kurt admonished, holding out his hand for the offending wing. Burt dropped it into his hand, giving his son a dirty look. "As for what I'm going to do, I'm just not sure." He sighed dramatically._

"_Kurt, we've been through this. I want you to go. Burt's right, it would be a shame to lose that money," Blaine insisted, playing his part perfectly._

"_Maybe you could find someone to go with," Carole suggested, finally getting to the crux of the matter._

_Finn, still not catching on, looked at Kurt. "Yeah, maybe Mercedes would want to go."_

"_No, she can't go; she's got her Lab Practical coming up and she can't miss anytime in the lab," Kurt lied, hoping Finn bought it._

"_Well then what about Tina? She's done with school," Finn suggested._

"_Didn't Tina just start a new job? I saw her mother at the supermarket recently," Carole offered casually._

"_Yeah, Tina started last month. She doesn't get vacation time until she's been there for six months," Kurt responded just as casually, mentally thinking that he couldn't believe that Finn didn't see where this was going._

"_Sorry dude, looks like you're out of luck." Shrugging, Finn went back to eating more wings, trying to ignore Burt watching enviously as his own sad looking piece of grilled chicken sat abandoned on his plate. "Maybe you can call and explain about Blaine."_

"_Finny…" Carole began, scooping more mac n cheese onto his plate._

_Finn looked up at the sound of his mom using her nickname for him. "Yeah Mom?"_

"_I was just thinking…oh never mind, it's not important. Did you get some fried chicken, Finny?" Carole waved her hand dismissively, offering the dish to Finn._

"_Awesome, you made fried chicken too? And what's not important?" he asked, taking the dish from his mom and taking a few pieces out._

"_It's just that you work so hard, Finny. More Baked Ravioli?" Carole began casually._

"_Yeah, well, I'm trying to get my career off the ground," Finn said, watching as his mom placed a heaping spoonful of Baked Ravioli on his plate. _

"_I know baby, but you need to have some fun too…" Carole trailed off, a faux worried expression on her face._

"_What do you want me to do? Jet off to Italy like Kurt?" Finn asked sarcastically. He hated when his mom harped on the lack of fun in his life. Ever since the train wreck that was Santana had dumped him, he'd thrown himself into his teaching career, not too keen to get involved in another relationship. His mom wouldn't stop worrying about him, constantly asking if he was seeing anyone or trying to set him up._

"_Yes," Carole said simply, inwardly thrilled that Finn had played right into her hands._

"_Huh?" Finn said stupidly, a Buffalo Wing poised halfway between his mouth and plate._

"_Finny, you can go with Kurt! He needs someone to go with, and you need to have some fun. It's almost summer! You don't need to teach Summer School this year. It's too perfect." Carole clapped her hands excitedly. _

"_Mom-," Finn began, prepared to list all the reasons why he couldn't go to Italy._

"_Just think Finn! Italy is famous for its art and music. You'll get to see all the things you teach about!" Carole plowed on, either ignoring Finn or not hearing him in her excitement. "It would be so good for your career, Babyfinn," she said innocently._

_Finn groaned at the use of her childhood nickname for him. He knew that when she called him Babyfinn, she was bringing out the big guns. He glanced around the table hoping to get some support, but saw that the other three men were firmly Team Carole._

_He sighed and looked at Kurt. "When do we leave?"_

"_Two weeks from Saturday." Carole answered for Kurt. _

_He glanced at Kurt, who nodded, confirming Carole's answer. "Our flight is at 3."_

_"Oh, Finny, I'm so happy you're doing this! You'll have the trip of a lifetime, I know it!" Carole trilled. "Kurt, why don't you help me bring this stuff into the kitchen?"_

_Kurt grabbed a bowl and followed her into the kitchen. "Why didn't you tell him the rest?" he hissed._

"_One thing at a time, Kurt," Carole whispered, taking the bowl from him and placing it in the sink. "Right now, he thinks it's just you and him traveling around Italy, let's leave it at that. He needs this trip just as much as you do."_

_Kurt nodded as the two of them exchanged a conspiratorial smile._

The next few weeks had been a whirlwind between school ending and packing for the trip. Kurt was calling him constantly, often reminding him to _**not **_take a particular piece of clothing that Kurt didn't want to be seen standing next to, which evidently included his entire collection of puffy vests, several plaid shirts, and a pair of cargo pants that Kurt particularly hated on Finn.

His mom wasn't any better. She was so excited that Finn was going, convinced that this trip was exactly what he needed to get out of his funk. She had sat with him as he packed, folding his clothes.

_"Just think Finny! Italy! I have such a good feeling about this trip. It's such a romantic place, maybe you'll meet someone," she said casually._

_"Yeah, right. It's going to be me and Kurt for the next two weeks." Finn rolled his eyes as he wished she'd stop harping on his social life._

_"You never know when Cupid will hit you, baby. I met your father when I was at the eye doctor of all places. I was just sitting in the waiting room, reading a magazine, when he walked in. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, and prayed that he'd sit near me. I almost had a heart attack when the nurse came out, ready to kill her if she called my name." She smiled at the memory as she folded Finn's shirt and placed it in the suitcase._

_Finn paused, staring at her, several pairs of pants in his hands. He'd never actually heard how his parents had met. "So what happened next?"_

_"Hmm? Oh, well the nurse called someone else and your father sat down across from me. I put a magazine up in the air, so I could stare at him as I read. Little did I know he was doing the same thing! He finally broke the ice by commenting on my magazine choice and we talked until the nurse called me in. Your father was just there for a quick checkup and finished before me. He actually waited for me to finish and took me out for coffee right after!" She laughed at the memory. "I still have that magazine, actually. I stole it from the doctor's office because I wanted a memento of the day I met the man I was going to marry."_

_"You knew just like that?" he asked as he handed her the pants to fold._

_"Just like that. You'll see, one day you'll be somewhere and it'll happen," Carole patted his cheek. "Then you can come home and I can say I told you so."_

Finn had just stared at her, thinking that she wouldn't be saying that anytime soon.

* * *

><p>"There he is! Yoohoo! Finn!"<p>

Finn groaned as he heard his name, recognizing the voice without turning around. Once they were settled into the hotel, Kurt had hit the spa for some kind of rejuvenating mud thing that he claimed was necessary before he could hit the Rodeo Drive of Rome, Via Condotti. Finn was left to his own devices, which was fine with him.

He loved his brother, he really did, but one solid week of being his glorified luggage carrier was taking his toll on him. As soon as Kurt left to go to the spa, Finn had headed over to the Vatican City, wanting to see some of the greatest pieces of art known to man. He'd spent hours walking around, soaking in sculptures as he made his way through the Vatican buildings and towards the Sistine Chapel, which had left him breathless and gawking. As an art teacher, he was fascinated with Michelangelo and his techniques and to see them up close was truly inspiring.

After the Sistine Chapel, he'd walked into St. Peter's Basilica, admiring the art scattered about. He was just examining Michelangelo's _Pietà_, marveling at the way the famed artist had captured the relationship between mother and son, which made him start thinking about his relationship with his own mom and how she'd neglected to let him know about certain _details_ about this trip, when he'd heard his name being called and felt a hand being placed on his arm.

"Oh, hey Todd," Finn said, wanting to get back to admiring the art, hoping Todd would get the hint.

No such luck.

"I found someone for you! Isn't that great?" Todd whispered impressively. "Look! She's over there talking to Derek right now!"

Finn followed his gaze towards Derek, who was conversing with a large woman, who looked like she was about his mom's age. "Uh, that's great, Todd, but don't you think she's a little old for me?" He blanched as he saw Derek point at him and begin walking their way, with the woman in tow.

"Nonsense. Love knows no age. I'm _sure_ Carole would just love her!" Todd trilled as Derek and woman walked over. "We promised Paolo we'd help you find someone, didn't we?"

"You really don't need to," Finn began, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He was _so_ going to kill his mom when he got home. She just _had_ to interfere. His mind traveled back a week, to the day he'd first met Todd and Derek.

"_Oh! There it is!" Kurt exclaimed excitedly, looking around for the tour bus the packet of information had named and finally seeing it parked right outside the baggage claim. He pulled his final suitcase off the Baggage Claim, struggling under the weight of it. He'd had to pay extra on all his suitcases when he checked them, and that was after placing some clothing in Finn's suitcase, but it was all worth it. He was in one of the most fashionable places on Earth and he'd be damned if he didn't look amazing every second of this tour. _

"_Here, lemme get that," Finn offered, grabbing the handle from Kurt. "You take the smaller ones."_

_Kurt happily obliged, pulling the two smaller ones and draping the suit bag over his shoulder, while Finn dealt with the boxcars Kurt called suitcases. _

_Finn smiled at two men who were watching the two of them. "You're very chivalrous," one of them said to Finn, while both he and the man next to him eyed Finn up and down. Finn simply nodded, not quite sure what the word meant._

_Kurt, who had a very strong suspicion that these two men would be on their tour, bit back his tongue to keep from laughing as he started to walk out to the tour bus._

_Sure enough, the two men appeared next to Kurt and Finn as they waited to give their luggage to the driver. "Hi, I'm Todd and this is Derek," the taller man said breathlessly, holding out his hand to Kurt, but looking at Finn._

_Kurt, not quite ready to let Finn in on the joke, shook his hand. "I'm Kurt, and this is Finn," he announced, purposely leaving out Finn's relationship to him. He watched in amusement as both men eagerly shook Finn's hand._

"_Why don't you two come sit near us? We'll save you seats," Derek promised, as he went to climb on the bus behind Todd. _

"_Sounds good," Finn replied as he handed the driver their luggage, still oblivious as to why he'd attracted their attention. "What?" he asked Kurt, who was smirking._

"_Nothing, Finn. Let's go." Kurt, still smirking, led the way over to the door, watching as several other men nearby checked Finn out. _

_They settled into their seats just as a small Italian man, his hair carefully styled to appear messy, climbed on just as the doors shut. He grabbed a microphone from the front of the bus, attracting the attention of everyone as the microphone screeched when he turned it on._

"_Hi! I'm Paolo! I'll be your tour guide for the duration of the tour, and I'm happy to say that all of you are Out…and About!" Amid the cheers, Finn looked around as Paolo's words sunk in._

_**No way**._

_He looked over at Todd and Derek, who were sitting across from them, their hands intertwined, which combined with the fact that there wasn't a single female on the bus, confirmed his suspicions._

_He was on a gay tour of Italy._

_He turned to Kurt, who had his camera ready to snap a picture of Finn's face when he realized. He quickly snapped the picture, looking at the screen immediately. He burst out laughing as he held it out for Finn to view. Even Finn had to chuckle when he saw the picture, in which a dumb expression was on his face and his mouth was hanging open._

"_I'm so emailing this to Carole and Dad," Kurt announced joyfully as he fiddled with his iPhone, while Finn turned his attention back to Paolo, who'd begun talking about the trip._

"_Now, before we begin the fun, I do have a special announcement. Yesterday, my office received a special phone call. It seems that one of our passengers is about, but not Out. Carole Hudson-Hummel called to let me know that her son Finn was nice enough to accompany his brother Kurt on this trip after Kurt's partner broke his leg and was unable to come at the last minute. Now, Finn may be straight, but as I assured his mother, we're not going to let that stop Finn from having just as much fun as we will, are we?" _

_Finn, his horror growing with every word, listened in shock as all the men on the bus-including Kurt-chimed in with a loud chorus of "No!" _

_Paolo, continued on with his speech, unaware of Finn's embarrassment. "Why don't we meet Finn? Where are you? Stand up so we know who you are!" Finn, whose mortification was now officially off the charts, turned to Kurt, only to find that Kurt had been videotaping this whole speech with his iPhone. _

"_He's over here!" Kurt yelled, turning the video camera onto Finn, who slowly stood up to the gasps and applause of the bus. He quickly sat back down, so Kurt turned his video camera back to Paolo just in time to hear the next part of his speech. _

"_Carole says that Finn recently got dumped, if you can believe that, so I told her that we would all be on the lookout for a nice girl for Finn to bring home to Carole, who I must say, sounds absolutely lovely."_

_Lovely his ass. His mom was so dead. See if he mowed her lawn or painted her a new picture for her dining room ever again._

"_Any other surprises on this trip?" he whispered to Kurt, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face._

"_Nope, but if it helps, this just made my whole vacation."_

Yep, he was definitely not painting any pictures for his mom anytime soon. The entire tour group had made him an unofficial mascot of sorts and had taken Paolo's promise to find Finn a girl to bring home to Carole seriously. Every city they'd gone to, someone in the group came up to him, either dragging a woman behind them or telling him there was just someone he _had _to meet.

Kurt was no help. Although he wasn't finding Finn any women, he certainly was enjoying the parade of potential Mrs. Finn Hudsons, snapping pictures of each one and sending it to Carole immediately, while somehow managing to maintain a straight face.

Todd and Derek especially seemed to take the job of finding a Carole approved girl seriously, but out of everyone in the group, they seemed to have the worst taste in women. He warily eyed the woman Derek was bringing over. If possible, she seemed even older up close.

"Finn, this is Martha. She's from _England_," Derek announced impressively. "She's a _solicitor_."

"Really? How nice," Finn said, trying to think of a way to escape. "Well, I should really get going. I promised Kurt I'd be back for dinner. It was lovely to meet you Martha."

Quickly, before Todd or Derek could stop him, he started backing away into the crowd, not before hearing Todd say, "Well he's a picky one isn't he?"

He stepped outside the Basilica into the Square, idly walking towards Caligula's Obelisk, shielding his eyes from the late afternoon sun. It wasn't that he was picky. He was just taking his time getting back into the dating world ever since Santana (or as Kurt liked to call her, _Satan_) had dumped him so publicly. He frowned, unable to suppress the memory.

_He'd just finished teaching his fourth period class when he heard the page for him to come to the Main Office. He was greeted by the secretaries all wearing matching looks of sympathy, which he couldn't understand._

"_Oh, Finn, you uh, have a delivery," Alice, the principal's secretary said, shifting uncomfortably as she pointed to the counter. _

_There on the counter next to the sign in board, was a huge plate of cookies, a cluster of balloons next to it. Awesome, someone had sent him cookies, which he loved. Smiling widely he strolled eagerly across the room, his stomach rumbling, not noticing the secretaries all watching him, waiting for the moment when he realized what his package really was. _

_His smile faltered as he looked at the sugar cookies, all of which were beautifully decorated, each one bearing a different expression. His heart dropped into his stomach as he realized what was written on the cookies and exactly who had sent them. Slowly, he shifted through them, humiliation spreading across his face. This had to be a joke._

"_It's over," one read._

"_You're horrible in bed."_

"_You're a bad kisser."_

"_I've met someone else."_

_He glanced up at the balloons, feeling nauseous when he figured out that each balloon was in the shape of a letter, spelling out "It's over." He could feel the eyes of the secretaries watching his every move as he opened the card attached to the cookies. Slowly, he read the words on the card._

_**I've met someone else. Your man boobs were really grossing me out. ~S.**_

_Quickly, before the whole school saw, he grabbed the balloons and the cookies and bolted out of the office._

He continued walking towards the hotel, kicking a small stone. It wasn't like things had been going so great with Santana anyway. They'd met at a party Mercedes had thrown to celebrate the fact that she'd graduated Nursing School. He'd been awed by her smoking body and sultry sexpot persona and when she started dancing with him, he eagerly went along with it. He'd be so blinded by her that he ignored her snide remarks about his lack of dance skills and claims that he had about as much sex appeal as a Cabbage Patch Kid.

His physical attraction to her made him overlook the fact that she was domineering, greedy and a bit of a snob. She refused to hang out with any of his friends, claiming they looked like they belonged on Sesame Street. The physical attraction didn't work both ways either, since Santana often chided his 'pasty white body' and 'man-boobs.'

Although Finn might have been blinded by her, his family certainly wasn't. The first time he'd brought her home to meet his mom, she'd almost thrown her out of the house after Santana had greeted Kurt with a "_well someone's Lady Fabulous,"_ Burt with a "_anyone ever tell you you look like you stepped out of a John Mellencamp video from 1987_?" and Carole, his _mother, _with a "_now I know where Finn gets that constipated face he makes when he's thinking too hard from._" Carole had stayed silent during dinner as Santana attacked her cooking and home décor, but the second Santana left, she'd unleashed her fury on her unfortunate son, forever banning Santana from being within one hundred feet of her.

Carole had actually danced and cheered when she found out they were over, until she found out exactly _how_ it ended. Once she saw the cookies (minus all the ones that read '_you're horrible in bed_,') and the balloons, she'd actually had to be restrained by Burt and Finn to keep from getting in her car and finding Santana.

All this had gone down one year ago and ever since then, he'd focused on his career and his own artwork. He started coaching, and became the advisor for clubs, often staying late after school. He'd occasionally date, but never got involved in anything serious, to the annoyance of his mother. She was frequently trying to set him up with girls, feeling that he was depressed.

He wasn't depressed, it was just that he wasn't interested in a fling or another toxic relationship. No, what he wanted was that sure feeling that came from being in the right relationship. He wanted the feeling of knowing that someone loved him for him, even if he apparently had a gassy infant look when he felt guilty about something. Someone who loved him 'even if he was just a teacher,' who was _proud _to be with him, and wouldn't treat him as another conquest.

And until that person came along, he was content to stay on the sidelines, no matter what his mother thought.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Rachel's iPod theory about the shuffle option is actually something that I do every morning on the way to work. I put it on shuffle, ready to see how my day will go. I also won't play certain songs that are associated with bad memories or bad work memories on my way to work. Stupid I know, but it's tradition at this point, I guess! _**

**_Thanks to SciFiMom2000 for having a friend who got dumped via cookie!_**

**_Haven't Met You Yet is by Michael Buble._**


	6. Rachel Has A Moment

_**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>I remember what you wore on the first day<br>**__**You came into my life and I thought "Hey,"  
><strong>__**"you know, this could be something"**_

_**-Boys Like Girls and Taylor Swift, "Two is Better than One"**_

* * *

><p>Rachel sighed, her impatience growing with every suitcase that passed on the baggage carousel that wasn't hers. She smiled apologetically at Brittany and Quinn, both of whom already had theirs and were now off to the side waiting.<p>

The light started blinking again as a new round of suitcases started coming out of the little door. She spied one that could potentially be hers, keeping an eye on it as it traveled on the belt towards her.

She reached out a hand, ready to grab it as it came near. Just as her hand wrapped around the handle, another hand reached out grabbed the same handle. Rachel stared down at the hand overlapping hers in surprise. It was a large hand, meaning it was probably a male hand.

"I'm sorry. This is my…" she started to say as she looked up at the owner of the hand, maintaining her hold on the suitcase. It was a good thing she did, because as soon as she looked up, her knees started to go wobbly and the rest of the sentence died on her tongue.

Said owner of the hand was most definitely male, and most definitely handsome. Her eyes traveled up his tall frame, taking in his muscular chest and chiseled face. Her eyes roamed over his carefully styled brown hair and landed on his gorgeous smile, before traveling back up to his eyes.

His amber colored eyes met her chocolate ones immediately. Their hands still on the handle, they stared at each other, unable to tear their eyes away. Rachel finally broke the silence as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I….I…I think this is my suitcase," she finally blurted out, still staring at him.

"No, it's mine. Look at the tag." Without breaking his eye contact, he used his free hand to flip over the luggage ID tag. Rachel's eyes flickered down to the tag for a second, long enough to register the name 'Sam Evans' written on the tag.

"Sam Evans? You're Sam Evans? I've been waiting for you since I was 13," she said softly, her eyes never leaving his.

He didn't answer, pulling her close for a passionate kiss. Rachel felt herself going weak at the knees, her eyes shutting in pleasure as she forgot about everything around them.

Sam pulled away from her, breathing heavy. "Coffee or tea?" he asked.

Rachel opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. Instead of Sam Evans, a flight attendant was standing next to her seat, a coffee pot in one hand. "Coffee or tea?" she asked again.

"No…no thanks," Rachel stammered, trying to recover from her dream.

"We'll be landing in about an hour." The flight attendant smiled at her as she moved to the seat behind Rachel.

She closed her eyes. Her dream had been _so_ vivid and she could still picture Sam in her mind. It was as if his amber colored eyes were permanently etched in her brain and she couldn't picture anything else.

Rachel frowned temporarily as she realized that in reality, she had no idea what Sam looked like. She pictured him tall and model like, but he could actually be short, fat or blonde. She tried picturing Sam different ways in her mind.

Each time though, no matter how she pictured him, tall or short, fat or thin, blond or brunette, the amber eyes were always present.

* * *

><p>Finn made his way into the hotel room he shared with Kurt, collapsing onto his bed. He groaned as his face made contact with a piece of rough paper instead of the feather soft pillow. Reaching blindly for it, he brought it up to his face, immediately recognizing Kurt's handwriting.<p>

_Finn-_

_I've gone out shopping. Meet me at the Spanish Steps at 5 so we can head over to the Trevi Fountain._

He eyed the shopping bags that were littered around the room. Kurt had obviously been here to drop off his bags and then headed out for more shopping again. He got out the map Paolo had given everyone to figure out where the Spanish Steps were, his heart dropping when he realized they were right across from Via Condotti, where Kurt was currently giving his credit cards a work out. He frowned knowing that it meant that once again, he'd be stuck carrying Kurt's bags.

His frown turned to a grin when the idea hit him to get one of those awesome, messy chocolate gelatos just before he met Kurt, knowing that Kurt wouldn't allow the dripping, sticky food to be near his precious purchases, which meant that Finn wouldn't have to play pack mule. Finn glanced at his watch. It was 3:30. He had just enough time to take a power nap, shower and head over to the Spanish Steps.

Truth be told, being on this gay tour wasn't that bad. It was actually an open ended tour, meaning that the schedule of cities was set, but upon arrival in the cities, the participants were free to do what they wanted. Each day the tour guide announced his own plans, so that the less adventurous could follow him, although neither Finn nor Kurt had chosen to do this. The first day, back in Milan, Finn had stayed with Kurt, following him from store to store bored out of his mind. The only time Kurt spoke to him was to say "Here. Hold this," as he'd hand him a shopping bag. He should have known that shopping with Kurt was going to be the same experience in _any_ country. He'd left Kurt somewhere between Armani and Versace and headed off on his own, wandering around the city in search of _The Last Supper._

Since then, they'd come to an agreement. While Kurt shopped, Finn would be free to wander around and do things he knew were more suited to him, but they would meet up to see the major touristy things together.

His grin grew wider as he walked past all the bags piled on Kurt's bed on his way to the shower, just picturing Kurt struggling to carry them without assistance all over Rome.

_That_ should teach him a lesson for deceiving him about this tour.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ecco Cavalieri."<em>

Quinn stared out the window of the cab. "We're here ladies," she squealed. "Are you ready?" she asked Rachel as she paid the driver.

Rachel stared at her, unsure of how to answer. After her vivid dream of meeting Sam, she really wanted to find Sam and get _the moment _over with, to see if it was the stuff of dreams, like what everyone else but her seemed to have had when they met their significant others. The amber eyes she'd pictured were just as clear and vivid now as they were in her dream. Even in her dream, she'd had the feeling of losing herself in those eyes, something that had never really happened when she would look in Jesse's hazel eyes.

She hadn't shared her dream with either Brittany or Quinn, but part of her had hoped that somehow Sam would be at the baggage claim when they emerged from Customs and got their bags. So far, the only excitement that had happened was when Brittany forgot where she'd put her passport and held up the line while she searched for it, oblivious to the yells and glares she was getting. She'd finally found it in her bag of trail mix, although she had no clue how it got there. Rachel was more than slightly relieved when Quinn had held out her hand and took possession of Brittany's passport.

Fortunately, Brittany saved her from answering. "What time is it here? I want to call Artie."

"It's a little after 4, Rome time," Quinn replied, resetting her watch. "We've lost some time since our flight landed late. Sam could be out and about by now."

Rachel groaned; this was not helping her nerves. Their flight had landed late due to some turbulence over Spain and then it had taken a while to get their luggage. Brittany holding up Customs hadn't helped, and neither did the forty minute cab ride from the airport to the hotel. She glanced at the door of the hotel, a small part of her again hoping that Sam would be standing there waiting for her.

She frowned at the thought. Shouldn't she be hoping that _Jesse _would be standing at the door? She followed Brittany and Quinn out of the cab and into the hotel. Thoughts of Jesse flew out of her head when she realized what she'd been doing just now.

Her eyes had been automatically checking out the eye color of every man she passed.

* * *

><p>Rachel drummed her fingers on the counter, waiting for the Concierge to come back with her receipt. She could hear Brittany and Quinn gawking at the posh hotel lobby next to her. She couldn't blame them, the hotel was amazing. Sculptures decorated the gilded lobby and luxurious sofas dotted the area. A baby grand piano was situated near a fountain, the gentle sounds of the water blending harmoniously with the soft notes the musician was extracting from the piano.<p>

The Concierge came back and started talking rapidly in Italian. Rachel looked expectantly at Quinn, who promptly started conversing with the Concierge. Figuring Quinn would tell her whatever she needed to know, she let her eyes start to wander around the lobby, wondering if Sam somewhere in the room.

Her gaze fell on an elderly couple sitting near the piano. She smiled. They were obviously husband and wife, based on their actions. The husband had his arm around his wife, while her hands were resting in his lap. They weren't speaking, but seemed content to sit in their silence and listen to the music. She watched in fascination as the husband began stroking his wife's arm in a relaxed manner he'd long since perfected. His wife leaned her head on his shoulder, her hands still on his lap as she watched the piano player. She wondered how long they'd been married for. Jesse wasn't one for public displays of affection like that, claiming that it destroyed the illusion his fans had created of him. She continued to stare at the couple, who had yet to say a word to each other.

The ding of the elevator behind the couple broke her gaze. Her eyes flickered over to the elevator for a second, intending to go back to watching the elderly couple, but as soon as the doors of the elevator opened, the elderly couple was forgotten.

Her eyes grew wide as a tall man stepped out of the elevator, pausing to look down at a map. His brown hair was styled messily, although Rachel had the feeling that it was naturally like that, as if he had the type of hair that just wouldn't stay put no matter what was done to it. He was casually dressed, in jeans and a t-shirt, along with a pair of sneakers. Unable to take her eyes off of him, she found herself inadvertently taking a few steps towards him.

He glanced up from his map at that moment, looking straight at her. Their eyes met, allowing Rachel to see his eyes.

His _amber_ color eyes.

This was _the moment_. She just knew it.

She maintained eye contact with him, her body involuntarily taking a few more steps forward. She noticed that he'd started walking also, the map forgotten in his hands. She continued walking towards him, still staring, forgetting about everything around her.

"Rachel?" Quinn called, turning to see where she'd gone. "Rachel, what are you doing? You need to sign this."

Quinn's voice stopped Rachel in her tracks. She turned around for just a second. "Huh?"

"The bill. You gave him your credit card, remember?" Quinn explained, confused by Rachel's actions. She glanced at Brittany, who had a strange smile on her face as she too watched Rachel.

"Oh. Uh. Right." Rachel prepared to turn around again, but Quinn quickly grabbed her and shoved the bill in her hand, along with a pen. She signed it quickly, losing patience with Quinn for expecting her to deal with mundane tasks at a moment like this.

She turned around again, anxious to get back to _the moment_. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't taken more than two steps when she found herself surrounded by a sea of what looked to be several teams of basketball players. She pushed and shoved her way through the group and all the luggage, finally working her way out. Desperately, she looked around.

He was gone.

She couldn't believe it. She'd _finally _had the moment everyone talks about, the one where everything was forgotten but the two of them, and she'd let a group of basketball teams come between them. She stood rooted to the spot, her eyes continuing to scan the lobby, hoping against hope that he'd reappear.

She jumped as she felt a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?" Quinn's worried voice cut into her thoughts.

"I, uh, I" Rachel stammered, her heart still pounding, not entirely recovered.

"You just had the moment didn't you?" Brittany squealed. "I saw you staring at him. He was staring at you too. I _knew_ it. I knew you had to come here and find Sam!"

"You saw Sam?" Quinn asked incredulously. "Wait. How do you know it was him?"

Rachel paused, thinking over Quinn's question. "I…"

"You didn't see the two of them, Quinn. They couldn't stop staring at each other. Besides, it's just like the fortune cookie said. 'Be open to love for the one you love is right outside your door.' He came out from behind the elevator doors. _Doors._ That was him. Her _soul mate_. I know it," Brittany insisted, firmly convinced of this.

"How do you feel?" Quinn asked Rachel, who was still standing there with a dazed look on her face.

"The eyes. Those were the same eyes from my dream." Seeing Quinn's and Brittany confused expressions, she quickly began to elaborate. "On the plane, I had a dream about how Sam and I met at the baggage claim. I dreamt he was tall, with nicely styled hair, kind of muscular. It was kind of vague. The only thing that was very specific were the amber eyes. We both grabbed the same suitcase and our eyes met. I can still see those eyes, and when he looked up just now, it was like I was back in my dream." She threw a nasty glance at the basketball teams still crowding the lobby.

Quinn exhaled. "This is huge. We need to plan. The bellhop can put our luggage in the room for us." She signaled to the bell hop, explaining what she wanted quickly. She watched him wheel off the luggage before turning back to Brittany and Rachel. "Let's head over to the Spanish Steps. I know an awesome little gelato place there. We can have some gelato and plan our next move."

Without another word, she marched out of the hotel, leaving Rachel and Brittany with no choice but to follow her.

* * *

><p>Finn threw his head back against the seat of the cab and closed his eyes, unsure of what had just happened. All he knew was that he'd been looking at his map, when he'd felt the need to look up. That's when he'd seen<em> her.<em>

She was tiny, but his eyes immediately registered her long legs and flowing hair. He'd kept staring at her, fascinated by the deep brown eyes that were currently staring back at him. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to get to know what was behind those eyes. He instinctively knew that she was different from all the other girls he'd ever dated. He was losing himself in her eyes and felt himself start moving towards her, wanting to hear her voice, which he was sure would sound like angels.

Just as he'd taken a few steps, he heard someone call her name. _Rachel._

He'd stopped to watch as Rachel turned and talked to the girl for a moment, wishing he was close enough to hear what they were talking about. Finn saw her finish her conversation and turn around again. Their eyes met for a moment and that's when _it_ happened.

That massive tour group had come into the hotel, wheeling their luggage and infiltrating the lobby. A lot of them were wearing warm up suits and several had shirts on indicating they were some sort of basketball organization. He'd lost tiny Rachel in the midst of the men who made _him_ look short. He waited a minute to see if he could find her again, but when she didn't reappear, he'd walked out of the hotel, planning to take a cab to Via Condotti and then walk all the way up to the Spanish Steps, purposefully making himself late to meet Kurt, who he knew would be pissed off.

Besides, knowing his luck with women, he'd probably just overplayed that whole moment in his mind anyway.

* * *

><p>"You were right, Q. This is amazing," Brittany said as she nibbled on her gelato. They walked out of the store, heading towards the Spanish Steps. By mutual agreement, they'd refrained from talking about anything to do with Sam until they were seated at the Steps.<p>

Rachel gazed in awe as they arrived at the famed Spanish Steps. It was incredibly beautiful and romantic. Several bridal couples were posing for photos at various places on the steps, and Rachel could see other couples sitting on the steps lost in each other, which only added to the romantic atmosphere.

As she followed Quinn and Brittany up the steps, a sudden image popped into her head of her and Sam sitting on the steps sharing gelato between kisses. She shook it off, trying to picture _Jesse _on the steps with her, but no matter how hard she tried, Sam kept fighting his way into her fantasy.

"Alright. First things first. Give me your ring," Quinn directed as she sat down about halfway up the steps. Brittany sat on a step below her, nodding in agreement.

"Why? What does that have to do with it?" Rachel asked, looking down at her massive ring in confusion.

"_Rachel._ When you run into Sam again, he's not going to want to talk to you if you're wearing another man's ring," Brittany explained. "Give Quinn the ring. She's good at keeping stuff safe. Remember how good she kept my Christmas present for Lord Tubbington? He never found it and I know he was looking."

Rachel slipped the ring off her finger and gave it Quinn. She looked down at her bare left hand, thinking it actually felt good to have that massive ring off. Honestly, the ring was a little too ostentatious for her. She'd had no input into the ring, although she'd left clues and pictures about what she wanted and liked with her dads, Quinn and Brittany. Jesse hadn't consulted any of them, choosing this incredibly large pear shaped solitaire set on an eternity band that almost went from her the base of her finger to the knuckle of her tiny hand, claiming it was similar to one he'd seen Broadway great Bernadette Peters wear. "So what now?"

"We know he's staying in the same hotel. Maybe the concierge can tell us which room he's in," Quinn said thoughtfully.

"I can flash him. That's how I get Artie to agree to go shopping with me," Brittany offered.

"Uh, no that's ok. We'll think of something else." Rachel said, her eyes wandering around the area. She spied a small, fashionably dressed man surrounded by a mountain of shopping bags at the bottom of the stairs. She smiled; he appeared to be waiting for someone, as his arms were crossed and he was tapping his foot impatiently, frequently glancing at his watch.

"I wish I had seen him. What did he look like again?" Quinn asked.

Rachel drew her gaze away from the small man. "He was tall, messy brown hair, amber eyes. He doesn't look like someone who would be named Sam."

"Wedding ring?" Quinn questioned.

"Nope. I checked. Left hand's bare," Brittany replied.

"He could still be married though," Rachel said doubtfully.

"He won't be. This is _your_ destiny, Rachel. He _can't_ be married unless it's to you," Brittany stressed, unsure of how many times she'd have to explain the concept of Destiny to her.

"Brittany's right, Rachel. You didn't just have the moment with a married man. This happened for a reason." Quinn patted her hand reassuringly.

"So what do we do?" Rachel asked. She watched as the small man took out his iPhone and began texting furiously, checking it every few seconds for a response. The wind picked up for a moment, knocking over the mountain of shopping bags he'd accumulated next to him. She stifled a giggle as the small man scrambled to grab his bags before anything fell out, while simultaneously trying to hold onto his other bags. She turned back to the other two expectantly.

"You've got to meet him. When we go back, we've just got to find out what room he's in," Quinn decided, quickly adding, "_without_ Brittany having to flash the Concierge," when she saw Brittany start to open her mouth.

"The offer still stands. It always works, although that's in America. Maybe it won't work in Europe?" Brittany wondered.

"B, flashing a man will_ always_ work, regardless of what country you're in," Quinn reassured her.

Rachel laughed, her gaze falling back on the small man and his mountain of bags. He was still scrambling to gather them, although now he had someone helping him try and gather the bags.

A very tall someone.

A very tall someone with messy brown hair.

Rachel sat up, ignoring Brittany as she asked Quinn if she thought Lord Tubbington was mad at her for leaving, trying to determine if she was really seeing what she thought she was seeing.

She grabbed Brittany's arm and shook it, unable to formulate words or take her eyes off of him. She watched as they frantically tried to gather the bags, the wind picking up and blowing them over again. He chose that moment to look up, and although his eyes were covered with sunglasses, she knew he was looking in her direction.

"What?" Brittany asked, turning to look at her. Her eyes followed Rachel's gaze and she gasped. "It's _him_! He's here!"

Quinn followed their gaze, gasping like Brittany did. "Rachel, it's a sign. You have to go over there."

"No…no…I'm not ready," Rachel stammered, still unable to take her eyes off of him. He'd gone back to helping the small man with the bags, gathering as many as he could in his hands to keep them from blowing away.

"Yes, you are. You _have_ to do this, Rachel. You came all the way here. You're doing this," Brittany said firmly.

Before Rachel realized what she was doing, she'd grabbed Rachel's hand and stood up, dragging Rachel with her down the steps, with Quinn following behind. "B, wait! What are you doing?"

"Helping you. This isn't a coincidence Rachel. This is where it has to happen, I know it." She continued dragging Rachel down the stairs. As she got closer, she called out, "Sam!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Sam!"<em>

"God Kurt, how much did you buy? This is insane! You're going to have to buy more suitcases or ship this stuff home or something," Finn said, attempting to corrall the wayward bags. The wind wasn't letting up, and the bags kept falling over as soon as they'd gathered them again.

"_Sam! Over here!"_

"I don't expect you to understand haute couture, but _I_ work in the fashion industry. I can't be seen in last season's clothes. That means a new wardrobe every season. It's a sacrifice that I willingly make," Kurt answered haughtily.

"_Sam! Sam! We're here!"_

"I wish Sam would answer so that girl could stop screaming," Kurt added, trying to gather as many bags as he could in his hands, making Finn laugh as he tried to do the same.

"_Sam!"_

Finn and Kurt glanced up as the girl screaming the name Sam got closer. Kurt shrugged, going back to bag rescue duty, not noticing Finn standing there dumbly, the bags in his hand dropping to the ground. He stared in shock as the brunette from the hotel, the one called Rachel, was heading his way, being pulled by the blonde screaming the name Sam. Another blonde, the one he'd heard call the brunette Rachel, was just behind them. His eyes flickered around, wondering which man near him was Sam.

His mouth dropped open when the blonde came to a stop in front of _him,_ placing a hand on his arm. He looked past her to Rachel. Thank God his eyes were covered by sunglasses, so she couldn't see him staring at her. She looked even more beautiful up close. Her eyes, which were currently staring at him, were an even darker brown than he'd thought, almost like chocolate pudding. He continued staring into them, unable to say anything.

The Blonde pulling Rachel glanced between them. "Sam, this is Rachel. She's been waiting for you," she announced. Finn's gaze shifted from Rachel to the Blonde for a moment, his brain slowly registering her words.

Kurt glanced up, confusion written on his face. He pointed to Finn. "She's been waiting for _him_?"

"Yup. Since she was thirteen." she explained. "He _finally_ showed up."

"Huh?" Kurt stopped gathering his bags to stare incredulously between Finn and the Brunette, both of whom were still staring at each other.

"Sam's her magnet," the Blonde said simply, as if that explained everything to Kurt.

"Huh?" Kurt repeated, his head swiveling between the Blonde, Finn and the Brunette repeatedly.

"Her magnet, as in her soul mate. The Fortune Teller said so and so did the cookie. They said Sam Evans would come. I never doubted the wisdom of the fortune cookie, you know. I knew you'd come one day," the Blonde babbled. Excitement got the better of her, and she reached up to throw her arms around Finn, who still seemed unable to say anything, his mouth hanging slightly open.

Kurt stared at the girls, in disbelief at what he was hearing. What the hell was she talking about? _Fortune Cookie? Fortune Teller?_ Finn was still staring the Brunette, his mouth hanging open, so clearly it would be up to him to sort this out. Obviously, these girls had the wrong guy.

"But he's-" Kurt started to say, only to be cut off by Finn, who'd managed to extract himself from the blonde around his neck.

"Sam. I'm Sam," Finn said, flashing a smile at Rachel as he stepped towards her.

"But you're-" Kurt tried again, only to be stopped when Finn 'accidentally' kicked over one of his bags, causing the contents to spill out of the bag. Distracted, he frantically tried to shove everything back in the bag before anything got ruined. He stood up, staring hard at Finn.

"I'm _Sam_. This is my brother Kurt," Finn said firmly, slapping Kurt on the back a little too hard. Kurt glared at him, trying to figure out what Finn was up to.

Rachel smiled shyly at him, unable to tear her eyes away from his face. "I'm Rachel. This is my best friend Brittany, and my cousin in law Quinn."

Finn smiled as she spoke. He was right. Her lilting voice did sound like angels, which just added to her charm. He glanced at Kurt, willing him to go along with the ruse.

Kurt seemed to understand, because he looked at Finn and said in a mocking voice, "Can I speak to you alone, _Sam_?"

"Sure, Kurt." Finn barely had time to answer, before Kurt pulled him to the side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed. "They think you're someone named _Sam Evans._ Last time I checked, that is not your name. Not to mention, that one blonde girl doesn't seem like she's the sharpest tool in the shed. She keeps talking about fortune cookies, what is that about?"

"I don't know what that's about, but look. About what happened earlier, you weren't there Kurt. I saw Rachel in the lobby of the hotel. I couldn't take my eyes off of her and she was staring at me too. We were walking towards each other, but got separated by a basketball team." He exhaled slowly. "I don't know what this is Kurt, but I remember thinking that this could be something the moment I saw her."

"So you're going to lie to her? Not your brightest idea, Finn." Despite his misgivings about the plan, Kurt knew he'd be going along with it. He'd seen the way Finn and Rachel were staring at each other just now, and he hadn't seen Finn this excited about any girl in a long time.

"No, I just need a little time. Right now, she's all hyped up on this Sam dude. I gotta get her to know me, then she'll forget all about Sam," Finn said, his gaze drifting back to Rachel, who was laughing at something Brittany said. Her laughter sounded like music to his ears, and he felt an irrational surge of jealousy flow through him. He wanted to be the one making her laugh. He glanced back at Kurt for a moment. "So are you going to help me or not? You totally owe me, the way you and Mom ambushed me about coming and how you two conveniently forgot to mention that it was a gay tour," he added slyly.

Kurt watched Finn stare at Rachel closely, before he spoke. "Fine. I'll go along with this, but don't blame me when it blows up in your face."

"Awesome. Just remember, my name's Sam," Finn said as he walked back over to Rachel. He had no idea who Sam Evans was or why they thought he was Sam, but if being called Sam meant that Finn could be around Rachel, then he'd willingly be called Sam.

He'd worry about how to tell her his real name later.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: At last they meet!**_


	7. Sam I Am

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>All he knew was that they fit somehow, and that he felt as if he spent most of his life traveling a path that led inexorably to her.<em>**

**_-Nicholas Sparks, __At First Sight_**

* * *

><p>Kurt rolled his eyes as he followed Finn back to where the girls were standing. He couldn't believe he was going along with this ridiculous-sure to blow up in Finn's face and therefore ruin his vacation- scheme.<p>

"So what are you ladies doing?" Finn asked; his eyes focused on Rachel. Kurt snorted, his brother had never been known as subtle.

Brittany and Quinn stared at each other, before glancing at Rachel, who hadn't taken her eyes off of Sam. Honestly, they hadn't planned on what to do _after._ All of their plans involved finding Sam, not what to do once they found him. Sam seemed like a nice guy, but they were reluctant to leave Rachel alone with him, at least until they got to know him a little.

"We were…uh…just about to go to the bar and have a Panini," Quinn improvised, earning a surprised look from Brittany.

"Q, it's a little early to drink and do shots, don't you think? I'm hungry. I don't want alcohol," Brittany said, a confused expression on her face.

"No, Brits, an Italian bar is more like a café or coffeehouse. They mostly serve sandwiches and beverages, so you'll be able to eat," Quinn explained slowly, as if she was speaking to a five year old.

Kurt watched this exchange with interest, idly thinking that his earlier assessment of Brittany was spot on. He was brought out of his musings by the next words out of his brother's mouth.

"Really? Kurt and I were just talking about going to the bar. Isn't that right, Kurt?" Finn looked pleadingly at Kurt. "Didn't we promise _Mom_ that we'd go to one?"

"Uh, right. Yeah, we were just about to go," Kurt responded, watching as Finn's gaze returned to Rachel. He'd never seen Finn like this. Even with the disaster that was Santana, he'd never had _this_ look on his face. Kurt had always had the feeling that with Santana, it had been more of a physical attraction and Finn was simply seeing the fantastic body Santana possessed. Yet Finn was gazing at Rachel's face almost tenderly, as if he saw something beneath the surface that no one could see.

"So, why don't we all go together? I know a great one a couple of blocks away," Quinn asked, seeing as Rachel seemed to be unable to say anything. She picked up some of Kurt's shopping bags, looking enviously at the names on the bags, gesturing to Brittany to pick up some also. She started striding along the road, subtly grabbing both Kurt's and Brittany's arms, in order to let Sam and Rachel walk alone.

Finn picked up the remaining shopping bags, giving Rachel a smile as she took one from him, despite his protests. They fell silently in step, Finn deliberately walking slower to match Rachel's pace as she walked cheerfully next to him, swinging Kurt's Prada shopping bag from one hand.

"Are all these Kurt's?" she finally asked, peeking at Sam out of the corner of her eye.

"Unfortunately. I have no idea how he's going to get all this home. He's gonna need like his own plane or something." Finn rubbed the back of his neck in such a way that Rachel had the feeling it was his tell when he was nervous or unsure about something.

She found it adorable, a giggle rising in her throat as she stared at him, thinking of him and Kurt chasing those bags down.

"What's so funny?" he asked, shifting the bags around.

"I wish you could have seen you two trying to chase all those shopping bags. It was so funny!" Rachel giggled harder, her giggles soon erupting into full blown laughter as she stood stock still on the sidewalk.

Finn stopped also, staring at her as she laughed, thinking how beautiful her face was when she laughed. He started chuckling also; mentally thanking Kurt and his bags for letting him see this side of Rachel.

It seemed to break the ice between them, because Rachel found herself conversing easily with Sam as they walked a slight distance behind Kurt, Quinn and Brittany. By the time they'd reached the small bar Quinn had been talking about, they'd covered all the basics and were conversing like old friends. She felt completely at ease walking with Sam, and more than once found her eyes wandering up to stare at him as she forgot about what she was about to say to him.

"Here we are," Quinn announced, stopping in front of a quaint bar. She turned to see Sam and Rachel still a distance away, walking very closely together as they talked. She smiled as she saw Rachel burst out laughing at something Sam said, thinking that she hadn't seen Rachel this carefree in a long time. For a while, Quinn had had the feeling that Rachel was simply moving on autopilot, going through the motions of life, her suspicions growing when Rachel had visited the other day, asking about her relationship with Puck. "Why don't we go in and get a table, and they can catch up?" Quinn asked, whistling and gesturing to the bar once she had Rachel's attention.

Brittany and Kurt nodded and went in. Quinn gave Sam and Rachel once last glance before following them, her smile growing as she watched Sam nudge Rachel with his hip in a teasing manner, making Rachel laugh yet again.

"I think this is it," Finn said cheerfully, pausing in front of the bar. "Ready to go in?"

He placed his hand on the small of Rachel's back, leading her into the bar. He paused, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dimness before searching out Kurt and the girls. He was happy to see that Kurt's bags were taking up a large amount of room in the booth, giving him the opportunity to sit alone with Rachel. Even better, the table next to them was also piled high with bags, so it was almost like they'd be alone.

Once again, he placed his hand lightly on the small of her back, leading her towards the empty table two tables away from Kurt. He pulled her chair out for her, pushing it gently towards the table once Rachel had sat down, before placing Kurt's bags on the floor and sitting across from Rachel, who'd picked up a menu and was examining it. He smiled at how cute she looked with that perplexed expression on her face, biting her lip. He glanced down at his own menu, instantly realizing why she looked perplexed. It was completely written in Italian.

Shit.

He sheepishly looked up at her, unsure of what to do. Fortunately for him, Rachel looked up at him at the same time, a smile now on her face, automatically making him smile.

"Quinn told me how to order on the plane. I wanted to be prepared and practiced how to order with her," she explained, smiling. "But what do you want to drink?"

Finn quickly glanced down at the menu, naming the first thing his eyes fell on. "Uh, Cappuccino."

"Be right back, Sam!" she said brightly, bouncing off to the counter to order. Finn watched her go, thinking that he might be hearing his mother say _'I told you so'_ quicker than he thought.

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight. A fortune teller told Rachel the man of her dreams is named Sam Evans, then she got his name in a Fortune Cookie years later?" Kurt asked looking across the table at Brittany and Quinn, who were both nodding. "What does that have to do with Italy?" He took a sip of his Espresso as he waited for one of them to enlighten him.<p>

"Rachel came with me to the airport to drop off my husband at the International Terminal. He's going to Copenhagen on business, but he promised to bring back a gift for me and Lord Tubbington," Brittany explained carefully.

Kurt arched an eyebrow, glancing at Quinn. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that Quinn was the more coherent of the two and that if he wanted explanations, Quinn should be his go to choice.

"Lord Tubbington's her cat," Quinn hastily explained. "B, explain about the page and what happened afterwards."

"Well, we were watching Artie go through security and were about to leave, when the PA system announced _'Alitalia flight 476 passenger Sam Evans please report to your gate._' Rachel didn't think it was a sign, but I knew it was. I started running to the gate and Rachel followed me. The mean security guard wouldn't let us through without a ticket, so I finally convinced Rachel to buy a ticket. By the time we bought our tickets and Quinn came with the luggage, we'd missed you two on your flight. But we got on the next one and here we are!" She beamed happily at Kurt before taking a bite out of her _cornetto._

Kurt glanced over at Finn and Rachel, who were sitting a few tables away, heads close together as they quietly talked. Kurt's mountain of bags was piled on the table between them, creating a modicum of privacy for the two. Wanting to get as much information about this whole situation as he could, he turned to Quinn. "But what I don't get is, how did you know that F-, uh, Sam, was Sam?"

"My husband is Rachel's cousin. Their grandparents have a soul mate love story, where they both weren't supposed to be somewhere, but Fate made sure that they were. They spotted each other across the crowded room and had what Rachel calls '_The Moment_.' They both knew that something was happening and met in the middle of the dance floor, forgetting about anything else. They got married as soon as her grandpa came home from the war. Rachel was always very affected by that story and the idea of a soul mate."

"The Fortune Teller and cookie, you see," Brittany cut in, anxious to impress the significance of them on Kurt, who simply nodded, looking at Quinn expectantly.

"When I called Rachel and Brittany said that Sam was on his way to Italy, we both knew that she had to come to Italy and find him, she just needed a push to realize it. Anyway, when we were checking in at the hotel, Rachel was looking around and saw a man get off the elevator. _Him._" She pointed at Finn, who was smiling at Rachel as she laughed at something. "She couldn't stop staring at him. I called her name like 5 times and she had no idea, she was so into him. She started walking towards him, but a basketball team got in the way," Quinn explained patiently.

"And it wasn't just her, Kurt. Quinn didn't really see the whole thing, but I did. He stepped out of the elevator and looked up. Just like her, he couldn't stop staring. She was upset when she lost him, so we came to the Spanish Steps to get Gelato and figure out what to do and then he showed up! We knew that he was staying at the _Hotel Cavalieri_, so when they had '_The Moment'_ at the hotel and then he showed up here; that means he's Sam," Brittany interrupted, finally arriving at the important part of the story.

"So none of you have ever seen Sam Evans before and you know nothing about him, other than that he took Flight 476 to Rome and that he's staying at the _Hotel Cavalieri_?" Kurt asked slowly. "How did you know about the hotel by the way?"

"Quinn's aunt called every hotel in Rome asking for Sam," Brittany announced cheerfully.

"We're not stalkers," Quinn said quickly, assuming by the look on Kurt's face that that's what was going through his head. "It's just since we were on a later flight than you and Sam, we knew we'd never find you once you landed."

"I see." Kurt said, anxious to get back to his previous question. "You've _really_ never seen or heard anything about Sam Evans?"

"No, not a thing," Quinn answered.

"The cookie said he'd be right behind a door, and he was. We knew that much," Brittany added helpfully.

"Interesting." Kurt sat back, deep in thought. They'd flown halfway around the world chasing a man they'd never seen or even knew anything about. Finn happened to step out of an elevator at the right moment, causing Rachel to inadvertently believe he was Sam. Carole had felt that Finn needed this trip; that he needed to be pushed out of his comfort zone to get past what Santana had done to him. He stared at Finn out of the corner of his eye, watching as Finn conversed with Rachel, their heads still very close together.

Even if she currently believed he was Sam Evans, Kurt had the feeling that Rachel was just the push Finn needed.

* * *

><p>Rachel peeked at Sam out of the corner of her eye as he walked up to the counter to get her a napkin, hardly daring to believe that she was here. Yesterday, she'd been alone in her apartment watching <em>27 Dresses<em> and today she's in Italy having coffee with _Sam Evans_.

The Sam Evans she'd been dreaming about for years. Although truth be told, the real Sam Evans was better looking than she could have ever thought. She studied him as he fumbled in Italian, attempting to ask for some napkins. He was much taller than Jesse was; something she'd always liked in a man. She eyed his broad shoulders and large hands, wondering what if would feel like to have those hands on her body.

Before she could chastise herself for even thinking that, Sam was back, successfully holding a pile of napkins. "Mission accomplished," he said cheerfully as he handed her the napkins. "Although I think I may have insulted her mother."

Rachel laughed. "So what were you saying about your job, Sam?" she asked as she wiped the edge of her cup. She placed her hand on the table, noticing that her fingers were almost touching Sam's.

"I'm a high school art teacher. I teach painting and drawing. Sometimes I teach sculpture too," he said, taking a slow sip of his cappuccino. Rachel couldn't help but laugh again at the grimace that passed over his face when he tasted it. He was so adorable in his reaction.

"How rewarding, working with kids like that. I bet you have students who aren't good at the traditional subjects, but excel in your classes. It must feel so great to bring that artistic side out. You must be very talented Sam," Rachel commented, sipping her own tea as her eyes stared at him over the rim of her glass. She could see a blush spread over his face, making him appear even cuter. "I would know. I'm very talented too," she said seriously, a teasing glint in her eye.

"Yeah?" He leaned closer to her, allowing Rachel to look into those amber eyes she'd noticed across the room. Up close like this, she could see the gold flecks in his eyes, along with the same teasing glint hers held. It was her turn to blush as she felt his eyes boring into her. "And what would a Broadway Babe like yourself know about art?"

"Oh, I know plenty," Rachel teased right back, inwardly thrilled that he'd called her babe, even if it was indirectly. It sounded so natural coming from his mouth. Jesse was not one for terms of endearment, claiming they weren't in high school. _Rachy_ was the only nickname he'd ever utter, unaware that Rachel hated it more than anything and felt that _Rachy_ was more of a high school nickname than Babe or Baby was.

"Of course, I'm always willing to learn more, if I could find a talented enough teacher," she added innocently, now very aware that their fingers were touching. She shivered as his fingers lightly grazed hers. She glanced down at their fingers, wondering if his finger grazing was an accident. "Italy's such a haven for art, you know."

"So I've heard. You know, talented art teachers are hard to come by. What are you going to do?" he asked, his fingers grazing hers again a little firmer, leaving Rachel no doubt this time if it was an accident or not. She smiled up at him, blushing slightly.

"Well, I'm not just looking for _any_ talented art teacher. I do have certain qualifications." Rachel leaned her head closer, letting her own fingers graze his.

"Yeah? What would they be?" he asked, giving her a lopsided grin that made Rachel's insides melt.

She pursed her lips in thought. "He should be American, since I don't speak Italian and it would probably be really good if he was tall."

Sam quirked an eyebrow. "Tall?"

"Yes, tall. That way he can get through the crowds so I can see the art better," Rachel said seriously, that playful glint still in her eye.

"So you need a tall American, anything else?" he looked at her, a serious look on his own face as his fingers now rubbed casually against her knuckles.

"I think it would be good if he didn't like cappuccinos," Rachel said thoughtfully. "It would leave us more time to look at the art, you know." She leaned her head even closer, their foreheads practically touching. "Do you know anyone who meets my qualifications?"

"I might." His eyes continued to stare into hers as his face broke into a smile. "Wanna get out of here?"

"Oh, _yeah_," Rachel replied, already standing up.

He stood up also, his hand automatically reaching up to rest on her back. Rachel smiled up at him, letting him lead her towards the door.

Caught up in each other, neither noticed the three pairs of eyes watching them leave. Two of the pairs of eyes were thrilled, while the owner of the third pair shifted uncomfortably, wondering when the ticking timebomb that was Sam Evans was set to go off.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: One of my shortest chapters yet! I hope I didn't confuse anyone with the whole Sam/Finn thing, but I figured whenever Quinn, Brittany or Rachel is talking to or referencing Finn, he should be called Sam, while Kurt talking to Finn would be his given name, and of course, any action Finn does would necessitate the use of his own name.**_


	8. Sam I Am Not

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>It was no accident, me finding you.<em>**  
><strong><em>Someone had a hand in it<em>**  
><strong><em>Long before we ever knew.<em>**  
><strong><em>Now I just can't believe you're in my life.<em>**  
><strong><em>Heaven's smiling down on me<em>**  
><strong><em>As I look at you tonight.<em>**

**_I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars._**  
><strong><em>He sure knew what he was doin'<em>**  
><strong><em>When he joined these two hearts.<em>**  
><strong><em>I hold everything<em>**  
><strong><em>When I hold you in my arms<em>**  
><strong><em>I've got all I'll ever need<em>**  
><strong><em>Thanks to the Keeper of the Stars<em>**

**_-Tracy Byrd "Keeper of the Stars"_**

* * *

><p>Rachel stared hard at the painting in front of her, trying hard to see what Sam saw. Once again, her eyes roamed over Caravaggio's <em>David with the Head of Goliath.<em> She gazed intently, but just like the previous three times she'd looked, her eyes wandered over to check out the man next to her even more intently. He was staring at the painting in awe, mouth hanging slightly open, his eyes focused on the painting almost reverently.

She forgot about the painting as she fixed her eyes on Sam. She'd never seen a man so moved by another's work. Whenever Jesse watched another person's performance, he watched critically, finding fault with everything, confident in the belief that his own talent was so great that any critique from him would be rightly welcomed. At the _Oklahoma! _cast Christmas party, Rachel had personally witnessed Jesse rip his way through his castmate's Karaoke performances, going so far as to deem one emotionless while criticizing another's lack of choreography. He'd once met Simon Cowell backstage at a performance of _Oklahoma!_ and ever since then, he liked to think of himself as a Broadway version of Simon, sparing no one his opinion, even Broadway greats like Joel Grey or Patti LuPone.

Sam was the complete opposite. From the moment they'd left Kurt, Brittany and Quinn behind and arrived at the Galleria Borghese, he'd been awestruck, taking the time to explain to Rachel just what made each painting so amazing. He had a natural patience, answering Rachel's many questions in such a way that Rachel had no trouble following his answers. His explanations were so clear and precise, that by the second room of paintings, Rachel was actually able to contribute, noticing the things Sam had previously explained to her before he pointed them out.

It became a game between them. They would each stare at the painting for a moment, before Sam would nudge her, and in his best teacher voice, would ask Rachel what she saw. Rachel, who got a thrill each time Sam nudged her with his hip or arm, would answer, eagerly anticipating the grade Sam would give her.

"So, Ms. Berry, what do we think of Caravaggio's _David with the Head of Goliath_?" he asked playfully, nudging Rachel with his hip.

Rachel, embarrassed at having been caught staring at Sam instead of the painting, snapped her head back towards the masterpiece, quickly trying to find something to comment on. "Well, Mr. Evans, I'd say that David is purposely painted in such a way that he illuminates against the dark background," she said, voicing the first thing that popped into her head.

"Hmmm. I'll give you a B for that answer," Finn said, rubbing his chin in mock thought. "It's a shame though. If you had gotten an A, I might have had a present for you."

"Oh really? Let me do some Extra-Credit then. I've always been a straight A student, you know," Rachel begged flirtatiously. She turned back to the painting, trying to find anything to comment on. "David is….holding that sword dangerously close to his groin!" she finished triumphantly.

Finn burst out laughing, earning a glare from several people around him. "I was thinking that Caravaggio used rapid brushstrokes in honor of Titian, but your answer's good too. I'll give you an A for creativity."

"My present, please." Rachel held out her hand.

"What present?" he asked, playing dumb.

"Very funny. I want my present."

"Ah. I did mention a present, didn't I?" Chuckling at Rachel's adorable pouting face, her hand still out in an expectant gesture, he pulled a bag of c_aramelle gommose _out of his pocket. He'd bought the gummy bears on his way to meet Kurt, simply because they weren't bears at all, but rather Smurfs, or as the Italians called them, _I Puffi_. The Smurfs had been his favorite show when he was little; his mom had even made him a Painter Smurf costume for Halloween one year. He'd been stoked when he saw these in the_ Tabaccaio, _that store Paolo had told them about.

"You did."

"How about some c_aramelle gommose_?" he asked, stumbling over the pronunciation. "Specifically, _I Puffi_, which rock," he added, pronouncing _I Puffi_ as "_eee poufy_" proud to have remembered how the guy at the _Tabaccaio_ pronounced it.

"Some what?" Rachel glanced at the package as he poured a few in her hand. "Ooh! Gummy bears! I love-" she paused, noticing the shape of the candy in her hand. "Are those…Smurfs?" she asked, holding one up to examine.

"Yeah," he replied, a blush forming on his face quickly. "I know it's stup-"

"I used to love the Smurfs!" Rachel exclaimed, cutting him off before he could explain about it being his favorite show when he was little.

"Really?" Finn asked, staring at her in surprise, a gummy Smurf halfway to his own mouth.

"Yes, I always watched the show when I was little. I even went as Smurfette one year for Halloween." Rachel laughed, thinking back to that Halloween. "I was Smurfette, Brittany was Sassette, and my cousin Noah, Quinn's husband, was Gargamel." Noah had been furious when they'd forced him to be the evil Gargamel and carry around a stuffed cat, since he wanted to be Hefty Smurf and have a cool tattoo.

"I was Painter Smurf," Finn confessed, earning a wide smile from Rachel. "Kurt hates the Smurfs. It drives him crazy when they talk, but he just doesn't get the awesomeness of the show. I means seriously, what's not to love? They're blue, they're the size of three apples, and they live in mushrooms. Awesome. It's still on TV, you know."

"Weekdays at 8 AM on Boomerang," Rachel chirped, popping another Smurf into her mouth. "I watch it all the time." Despite working nights at the theaters, she was an early riser, choosing to work out on her elliptical while watching TV, specifically _The Smurfs_. Jesse was not an early riser, which was fine with Rachel, since he couldn't stand the Smurfs, claiming another brain cell just died each time the word 'Smurf' was mentioned on the show. "And I agree with you about the awesomeness. How can they not be? They sing."

"I watch too. Well, on vacations, I do. My mom actually got me the DVDs for Christmas one year…which makes me sound like a huge dork," Finn finished, realizing too late how dorky that sounded.

"It's not dorky. It's part of what makes you, you," Rachel said seriously. "So you like cartoons. It's endearing."

Finn smiled at her, popping a Smurf into his mouth. "Endearing, huh? Come on, Smurfette. Let's go check out some more art."

"What a smurfy idea, Painter Smurf," Rachel responded, laughing. Her smile got wider when she felt Sam's hand resting lightly on her waist, leading her towards the next room.

* * *

><p>They worked their way through the gallery, examining the art and continuing their game. Somewhere between the paintings of Caravaggio and the sculptures of Bernini, their hands had found each other. It took Rachel all of about five seconds to decide that she liked it and about six seconds to decide that she <em>really <em>liked it. She found herself glancing down at their intertwined fingers often, marveling at how perfectly her hand fit into Sam's much larger one.

Their hands remained firmly clasped as they exited the Gallery and strolled aimlessly through the grounds. The Galleria Borghese was housed in the building the large park was named after and the park itself strongly reminded Rachel of Central Park. They talked about everything and nothing as they slowly strolled, neither in a rush to end their day together.

They'd covered the basics earlier, but as they strolled amiably along, hands still intertwined, they revealed sides known only to family members. Rachel soon discovered how close he was with his mom, immediately noticing the way his voice softened when he talked about her and felt her heart wrench he talked about his early life, when it was just him and his mom. She found herself telling him about her two fathers, something she was normally quite reserved about, usually waiting to share or not share that piece of info until she was sure of how people would react. Sam reacted favorably, as she thought he would, merely commenting that it must be scary for potential boyfriends to meet not one, but two dads. Rachel had laughed at this; thinking back to Jesse meeting her dads. He'd been his usual confident self, offering cooking advice to her Dad, while simultaneously critiquing her Daddy's DVD collection of Broadway musicals. Her dads had been less than thrilled by him at first, but over time, when it became obvious that Jesse wasn't going anywhere, they'd warmed up to him. An image of introducing Sam to her dads popped into her mind, and she smiled, knowing without a doubt that they'd love him immediately.

She glanced up at him, her smiling growing wider as she listened to him talk animatedly about how crazy Kurt got whenever the mailman didn't deliver his copy of _Vogue_ magazine immediately.

Not wanting to be caught staring yet again, she tore her gaze from him, forcing herself to check out her surroundings. She gasped at the lake that had just come into view. Abruptly stopping, she stared at the island in the middle, a small temple residing there. She was awestruck at the beauty and the romanticism of the lake, taking in the lush green trees and calm, dark water. A family of swans floated idly in the water, adding to the tranquility of the lake. "Isn't this gorgeous, Sam?" she finally managed to say. "Have you ever seen anything this gorgeous?"

"Nope," Finn replied, although his gaze was decidedly _not_ fixed on the scenery, but rather on Rachel herself. He couldn't help but smile at the little squeal she let out at the sight of a small boathouse renting rowboats.

"Sam! They have rowboats! Let's go rent one; I've always wanted to do that!_"_ she exclaimed, practically jumping up and down in excitement. No matter how many times she tried to convince Jesse to do this in Central Park, he always steadfastly refused, claiming it was for tourists. She was a tourist now, as was Sam, so she was going to make damn sure she got her rowboat ride. "It'll be just like Giselle and Robert from _Enchanted!" _

"Or Ariel and Prince Eric," Finn added, the words coming out of him mouth before he could stop them.

Rachel paused mid bounce as his words registered in her head. "I wouldn't have taken you for a _Little Mermaid_ fan."

He blushed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, I'm more of a _Robin Hood_ kind of guy, but my mom always liked _The Little Mermaid._ When I was little we always had a deal where we'd watch the movie the other wanted. I always wanted to watch _Robin Hood_, and she always wanted _The Little Mermaid." _He laughed, thinking back to those days on the couch when he'd groan at the sight of the _The Little Mermaid _VHS while his mom would do the same at his choice. "We can both quote both movies."

"It's settled then. Your mom would be so upset if you had the chance to be Prince Eric and didn't take it," Rachel decided, pulling Sam towards the boathouse before he had a chance to say no.

"_Uno, per favore_," she said proudly in Italian to the man behind the window. He immediately held out his hand for payment, looking expectantly at Finn, who quickly got out his money and gave the man the requested amount of Euros. The man promptly came out from behind the window, placing a hand on Rachel's arm to lead her towards the next available boat, leaving Finn to follow behind. He felt a surge of jealousy as he watched the Boat Dude's hand rest lightly on Rachel's arm.

"_Eccola_," he said, helping Rachel into the bow of the boat. _"Puoi sederti a prua mentre lui rema." _

He stepped back to let Finn climb in, the boat immediately groaning under his weight as he settled between the oars. "_È bellissima_," he added, looking from Finn to Rachel pointedly. Seeing Finn's confused stare, he elaborated. "_La tua ragazza, è bellissima, sì_?"

He pointed at Rachel, hoping Finn understood this time. When he didn't, he rolled his eyes and tried in English. "The girlfriend? Is very beautiful, yes?"

Finn looked at Rachel, who promptly blushed. "I think she's beautiful, although she's not my girlfriend."

"_Che?"_ the man exclaimed, shocked. _"Idiota!"_ he chided, looking at Finn as he wagged his finger at him. _"Un giro in barca, è romantico!"_

"Huh?" Finn asked, looking from the Boat Dude to Rachel, who was smiling at his obvious confusion. He had the feeling that the man was yelling him, and he'd definitely caught the words 'idiot' and 'romantic.'

"_Sei un cazzone cafone!" _the man muttered, giving the boat a push. "In English, the asshole, no?" he asked Rachel, pointing to Finn.

Finn blushed as he began rowing. "Why do I have the feeling that I was insulted?"

Rachel laughed; her laughter sounding like tinkling bells to Finn's ears. "I'd say he's not happy with you. Your shoelace is untied by the way."

She leaned back soaking in the sun as Sam rowed. So far, her boat ride was everything she'd thought it would be, and she really did feel like Giselle or Ariel. All she needed was an umbrella. She looked back at Sam, who smiled at her. Rachel smiled back before opening her mouth and beginning to sing.

**_Look at this stuff  
><em>****_Isn't it neat?  
><em>****_Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?  
><em>**_**Wouldn't you think I'm the girl**  
><em>**_The girl who has everything?_**

Finn's mouth dropped open the second he heard her start to sing. Her voice was truly the voice of angels, and it touched him, right in his heart. He could feel his heartbeat start beating faster, each word putting him further under her spell.

**_Look at this trove  
><em>****_Treasures untold  
><em>****_How many wonders can one cavern hold?  
><em>****_Looking around here you think  
><em>****_Sure, she's got everything_**

**_ I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty  
><em>****_I've got whozits and whatzits galore  
><em>****_You want thingamabobs?  
><em>****_I've got twenty! _**

**_But who cares?  
><em>****_No big deal_**

**_ I want more_**

She stopped, suddenly aware that Sam had stopped rowing and was simply staring at her, as were several boats nearby. Ordinarily, she welcomed the attention and adulation of strangers, but this was different. She was singing for Sam, and only Sam. She blushed under his intense gaze.

"That…that was amazing," Finn finally managed to utter. "You truly have a gift."

"Thanks," Rachel replied, suddenly shy, feeling Sam's intense gaze still fixed on her.

"Aren't you going to finish?"

Rachel smiled at him, before immediately finishing the song. Finn sat, captivated by her voice, the oars forgotten at his side. Once she finished, he managed to snap out of his voice induced stupor to continue rowing. He winked at her as he rowed, causally commenting, "That's the wrong song, you know. They sing '_Kiss the Girl_' in the row boat. You need to brush up on your Disney, Ms. Berry."

"I know, but a man sings that song. Besides, I'm more of an Ariel than a Sebastian." Rachel laughed before adding, "I think I'd look a lot better in an Ariel costume than a crab costume." She blushed when she saw Sam gulp at her words, realizing too late what her words conjured up.

"Yeah, I, uh, don't think you're the singing crab type," Finn managed to stammer out.

They were silent after that, rowing aimlessly, the song '_Kiss the Girl_' running through both their heads.

* * *

><p>Rachel glanced at Sam, as he rowed easily. She felt bad that he was doing all the work, while she sat there like a doll. "I can row, if you want."<p>

"No, I got it," Sam replied, pausing his rowing to throw her a grin.

"Really. I can do it," Rachel insisted. "You've been rowing for a while and I've done nothing. Let me take over while you rest."

"Rachel, it's fine. I'm not tired." His hands were actually starting to hurt, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "What…what are you doing?" he asked in alarm as Rachel stood up in the rickety boat.

"I'm going to row. I can do it Sam, I know I can." Gingerly, she stepped over the bar in the middle to stand in front of Sam. "Get up." When he didn't move, she simply sat on the small area of bench he wasn't occupying, wiggling around until he'd moved over enough to give her more room.

"Alright, if you insist." Slowly, he stood up, the boat rocking under his weight. He wondered if the Italian government regulated these boats at all, because the boat was groaning with every step he took and he half expected a leak to spring up.

"Oh!" Rachel's exclamation of surprise made him turn suddenly, afraid something had happened to her. The boat lurched as he turned back to face Rachel, but he managed to maintain his balance.

"What? Are you ok?" he asked, his eyes scanning her body for any signs of something amiss. He couldn't detect anything, so he simply stared in the direction she was pointing at, finally noticing a young man proposing to his girlfriend in a nearby boat.

"How romantic!" Rachel sighed, her eyes still focused on the couple. "It's like it's just the two of them, even though they're in a public place. They're having the moment of their lives, right in the middle of everyone else living their lives." She glanced down at her bare left hand, thinking that that girl was having the proposal _she_ had wanted. Jesse's over the top very public proposal was nice, and it was beautiful, but she'd shared her moment with complete strangers in the middle of eating dinner. "Don't you think that's lovely, Sam?"

"Yeah," Finn smiled at Rachel, still standing in the middle of the boat. As he'd watched the couple, he couldn't help the image of him down on one knee in front of Rachel from popping into his head.

"How would you do it? If you were going to propose to your girlfriend, I mean." Rachel leaned forward on the oars as she looked up at him, curious for his answer.

"What? I'd…uh…well…" Finn stammered, the image of him on one knee in front of Rachel still fresh in his mind. He quickly turned around, remembering too late about the untied shoelace as well as the bar in the middle of the boat. His left shoe skidded on the tip of the shoelace, while his right foot tripped over the bar. Arms waving wildly, he pitched forward, landing hard on the edge of the boat before toppling right out and into the warm water with a loud splash.

"Sam!" Rachel shrieked as he surfaced. "Are you ok? What happened? Do you need a doctor? Oh my God, I don't know how to say I need an ambulance in Italian!" she cried out, panicking, as she leaned over the edge, earning the stares of nearby boaters, most of whom were laughing.

"I'm fine, Rachel, just help me in," he said, more embarrassed than anything. Rachel was going to think he was a clumsy freak. Rachel immediately relaxed once she realized he was standing in the water, and that playful glint returned to her eyes instantly.

"Hmm. I don't know. You did lowball me on some of my grades, and I _know_ you ate the rest of the _Puffi_," Rachel deadpanned, rubbing her chin in mock contemplation.

"Actually I didn't. I still have them, but they're nice and wet now, so I doubt you'll like them." He stared up at her, splashing some water lightly in her direction, waiting to see what her next comment was.

"I guess you'll just have to buy me more, then," Rachel said, leaning over the side and holding out her hands to help him climb in. She recognized what he was about to do a second before he actually did it. "Sam, don't you dare!" she shrieked.

Unfortunately for her, Sam dared, easily pulling her into the water with him.

"Sam!" she screeched, surfacing and treading water to stay afloat. "That was _not_ appreciated."

She said it sternly, but her eyes betrayed her, twinkling in merriment. Unlike him, she wasn't able to stand, so she simply wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring the yelling that was coming from the man they'd rented the boat from.

"I think it _was_ appreciated. I can see it in your eyes," Finn said, loving the feeling of her arms wrapped around him. His own arms cut through the water to rest on either side of her waist underwater.

"You only think you see that. Maybe it's my poker face," Rachel retorted playfully, raising her legs to wrap around him, rationalizing that it was less of a strain on his neck if she did.

"I don't think so, babe. If that's your poker face, then I wanna play for money with you." He smirked, laughing as she swatted his shoulder with her hand. He pulled her closer to him. "I can tell a lot from your eyes, you know."

"Like?" Rachel asked, leaning closer to him and opening her eyes wider, a thrill coursing through her body at the word "babe."

"Well, like before when you were looking at that couple, you had a sense of longing in your eyes," Finn said, watching as her eyes grew in surprise at his analysis.

"What else?" she insisted. She couldn't believe that he was able to read her so easily. "What about right now?"

He peered into her eyes, almost as if he was trying to read her mind. "Right now, I can tell you want to kiss me," he pronounced, smiling as he watched her mouth form a small O. He leaned his head closer, until their mouths were almost touching. "You know, you can kiss me if you want to," he breathed.

"I want to."

Rachel closed the tiny distance between them, placing her lips softly against his, the rest of the world instantly melting away as soon as their lips met. Her mind went blank and she could think of nothing but this kiss and the fierce realization that she needed _more. _As his hands came up to tangle themselves in her hair, everything that had previously been important in her life, such as the fact that she's _engaged_, faded away. The people laughing in the boats around them were immediately forgotten when she encircled his neck and he instinctually pulled her even closer as she sucked on his bottom lip lightly. Even though she's only known Sam for a few hours, once he placed his hands on her neck, trying to deepen the kiss as his tongue traced her bottom lip requesting entrance, it became trivial, because this is what she has been waiting her whole life for. She willingly opened her mouth, thinking that _this_ was what everyone was talking about.

Never in her life had she felt a kiss like this; one that made every part of her body tingle, every thought leave her. She couldn't stop the small mewl that escaped when his tongue swirled and dipped in around her mouth. She was so very _wrong _when she thought she'd had "the moment' back at the hotel.

_This _was her moment.

They only pulled away from each other when their lungs were on fire, but didn't break their soul searching stare, breathing hard.

"I'd do it privately," Finn panted, staring into her eyes for a moment before nuzzling her face on his way to her neck.

"Do what?" she managed to squeak out when she felt his lips on her neck.

"A proposal." He let his lips leave her neck to kiss her softly on her lips again. "It should be just the two of us. I don't want to share the moment with complete strangers."

Rachel stared at him as one hand reached up to move the wet hair plastered to his forehead. "I couldn't agree more."

She placed several soft kisses on his lips as the boat guy once again started yelling from the dock. She tore her gaze away from Sam to look in the boat guy's direction, who was gesturing angrily and yelling. She distinctly heard some words she _knew_ were not nice and could only guess what he was saying.

Finn followed her gaze. "Uh, maybe we should get back in the boat."

Rachel looked back at him, giggling. "I think you're right."

She squealed as she felt Sam easily grasp her by the waist and hoist her into the air enough that she could climb back into the boat. Using his shoulders as leverage, she managed to climb gracefully back into the boat, despite the fact that she accidentally kicked him in the face. "Are you going to be able to get in?" she asked doubtfully as she held out her hands to help him climb in.

"Watch me," he said, winking at her, confident that it wouldn't be a problem.

He immediately found that it _would _be a problem. Finn wasn't able to climb in as gracefully as Rachel had. It was a lot harder than it looked to climb into a rowboat from the water when you didn't have anyone to lift you. Using Rachel's hands as support, he had to kind of jump as Rachel pulled, so that he was able to land on the side of the boat. Rachel actually had to grab him by the waistband of his jeans, pulling him to help him get back in, until he was fully in the boat. He managed to finally collapse into the boat, feeling like a beached whale, his jeans giving him a wedgie thanks to Rachel and her pulling.

Rachel immediately moved towards his head, cupping his face in her hands as she gently examined where she'd kicked him. "I'm so sorry!" she repeated over and over as she continued to check his face over. She didn't see any bruising, but one can never be too sure. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine, but if you really want to make me feel better, you can kiss where you kicked me," Finn said, throwing her a sad puppy look, his finger pointing to the injured area.

She laughed, gently placing a kiss where he pointed. "Better?"

"Almost, but I think you kicked me here too," he said, pointing to his lips as he sat between the oars.

"Oh, well in that case." She smiled, leaning in to kiss him, that warm, tingling feeling immediately flowing throughout her body. Not wanting that feeling to end, she continued kissing him, his hands automatically coming up to cup her face and bring her closer.

Just like before, they finally had to break apart due to a lack of oxygen. Rachel smiled at him as she joined him on the small bench between the oars. She slipped her left arm through his right one, her fingers seeking his. Sam looked down at their hands, dropping a kiss on the top of her wet head as they began to row in sync.

She didn't know what was happening, but she knew she'd be making a phone call to California when she got back to the hotel.

* * *

><p>Once they were back on firm land, the sorry state of their clothing became fully apparent. Rachel couldn't help but laugh as Sam's sneakers squished with each step. "I guess I won't be able to lose you with all that squeaking," she commented, although her flip flops weren't much better.<p>

"Nope. It's a good thing I'm not going anywhere," Finn agreed, putting his arm around Rachel's shoulders. They walked on in a comfortable silence broken only by the flapping of Rachel's flip flops and Finn's squeaking. "God, I hate wet clothes! There's nothing worse than wet jeans."

Rachel looked at him sympathetically, about to say that there was nothing they could do about it until they got back to the hotel, when she spied a secluded sunny clearing. She pulled on Sam's arm and dragged him towards the clearing.

"Rach, what are you doing?" he asked in confusion as she stopped next to a large rock.

"Getting dry. You can take your shirt off and lay it on the rock to dry, along with your shoes and socks," Rachel explained as she slipped off her flip flops and wiggled her toes. "Give me your shirt."

She blushed as he shrugged and pulled his shirt over his head, giving her a clear view of his toned abs and stomach. Unconsciously, she licked her lips; still blushing as he spread the shirt on the rock, before removing her own shirt and placing it next to his.

It was Finn's turn to blush as he looked up from removing his shoes and socks. His mouth dropped open in surprise, as he took in the sight of Rachel in nothing but a pink lacy bra and skirt. She looked like something from a Britney Spears video, the Catholic School girl one (which was _definitely_ his favorite Britney look). The socks and shoes dropped from his hands without him even realizing it as his eyes roamed over her taut stomach and small chest peeking out from the bra.

"What?" she asked self consciously, suddenly very aware that she was standing in the middle of a public park in her bra. Her hands moved to cover her chest.

"Nothing. You're just…really beautiful," he said, unable to tear his gaze away from her, pulling her hands away from her chest so he could kiss the back of her hand. He pulled her to the ground with him, lying flat out on the grass, Rachel doing the same beside him while the warm sun immediately got to work drying their clothes.

* * *

><p>"Alright, I've got one. Which <em>Fantastic Four<em> superpower would you like to have?" Finn asked; his head propped up on one hand as the other traced lazy circles on Rachel's stomach. The hour or so they'd spent lying together had been filled with random silly questions like this. Rachel had started it when she asked him which Broadway hero he'd be, shocked when he easily responded with an answer of Joe Boyd from _Damn Yankees._ Little did she know that years of living and driving around with Kurt had made him well versed in all things Broadway. He'd even added that he could also see himself as Tony from _West Side Story. _He had frowned as he realized that Joe Boyd was eerily fitting since the character was deceiving everyone around him with a different name. "Or do you not know the _Fantastic Four_ either?"

"Sorry. I know Batman, Spiderman and Superman thanks to Noah, but I have no idea who the Fantastic Four are." She wasn't about to tell him that she and Jesse only watched Broadway musicals, documentaries about Broadway musicals, or biographies about Broadway stars. So far, she hadn't known The Green Lantern (_so what, he's half lamp?),_ Wonder Woman (_only a man would design a costume like that, Sam_!), or The Hulk (_why isn't he red if he gets big when he's angry?),_ although she admitted she only knew Spiderman because it's now a show on Broadway.

"_Fantastic Four_ are awesome. They're like astronauts or something who get hit with something and each one gets a certain power and they form a business to help save the world. There's Mr. Fantastic, who can rubberize his body and stretch, Sue Storm, his girlfriend, can become invisible and make awesome force fields. Johnny, her brother can make flames and fly super fast, and finally there's the Thing, who's got super strength."

"Hmm that's tough. Are there any conditions to having these powers?" Rachel asked thoughtfully.

Finn stopped tracing circles on her stomach momentarily to stare at her. This girl was _awesome._ She was taking his stupid little question seriously, putting some deep thought in before answering. He'd once tried to have a similar conversation with Santana, whose only reply was _'what are you five? Are you seriously wasting time thinking about this?'_

So yeah, ever since then, he'd kept his thoughts about things like this to himself, but with Rachel, he knew instinctively that she wouldn't find it stupid and think he was wasting time. He'd spent a lot of time thinking about it, and he'd long ago decided that he'd like to be rubber like Mr. Fantastic, since that would be boss if he needed something across the room and could just get it without getting up.

"Well, Mr. Fantastic and Johnny don't have any conditions, but Sue always loses her clothes and is naked when she goes invisible and the Thing looks like a massive rock all the time." He resumed tracing patterns on her stomach, watching as she closed her eyes, whether in contentment or contemplation he wasn't sure. He hoped it was contentment though.

"I think I'd like to be rubber," Rachel announced opening her eyes to look at him. "It would be really handy if you ran out of toilet paper or left something in another room."

Finn, an elated look on his face, leaned over to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him, as he climbed on top of her, kissing her all over her face. He still wasn't sure how to tell her about the name issue, but knew that with every kiss, touch or conversation, he was falling deeper for her.

It was official.

His mom would totally be saying _'I told you so_,' the next time he saw her.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure it's this way? Maybe we should ask someone," Rachel said frowning as she looked up and down the street. "I mean, it's kind of hard to miss the Colosseum."<p>

They'd been forced to leave their little clearing when a park ranger came by and had spotted Finn totally reaching second base. Rachel had been embarrassed, her embarrassment growing when the park ranger stood there watching until they'd gotten dressed in their still slightly damp clothes and walked off. Finn was undaunted, merely suggesting that they go check out the Colosseum.

"It's further than I thought, but I think it's this way," Finn admitted. "The map is hard to read since it got wet." He continued walking in the same direction, standing firm in his belief that he was going the right way. "Rach, why are you walking slow?"

"My feet hurt." He glanced down at her feet, clad only in the flip flops before looking back at her.

"Hop on." He bent down low so Rachel could climb on his back, giggling as she did so.

"Why thank you Sam, you're such a gentleman." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek softly while he hooked an arm under each of her legs to support her.

He cringed at the use of the word _Sam_. He had to tell her the truth before this got even more out of hand.

But how?

Should he just be honest and say, "Oh by the way, my name's Finn not Sam?" Maybe he could get away with telling her Finn was his nickname?

No. Rachel was awesome and she deserved the truth. He decided to just blurt it out, even if it meant that she left him in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Hey Rachel? I've got to tell you something. My na-"

He was cut off by Rachel squealing in his ear. "You were right! There it is!"

Temporarily deaf, he followed her pointing finger to see the Colosseum looming in front of them.

"Wow," she breathed as she slid down his back and started to walk towards the street corner, ready to cross the street.

He followed her, grabbing her arm as his face set into a mask of determination. "Rachel, wait. I need to tell you. My na-"

"Come on, Sam!" Rachel trilled, grabbing his hand and dragging him into the crosswalk excitedly.

He sighed. She was so excited about the Colosseum, he didn't want to ruin her mood and taint her experience.

He'd tell her later.

* * *

><p>"So here we are." Rachel looked sadly at the doors of the hotel.<p>

"Here we are." Finn swung their entwined hands lightly, using a finger of his free hand to pick up her chin. "Why so sad?"

"I don't want this day to end," Rachel admitted, releasing his hand to allow her own arms to wrap around his waist.

"Who says it has to end?" Finn whispered, kissing the top of her head.

Rachel picked up her head to look at him, her eyebrows raised. "Well, we _were_ interrupted in the park."

Finn laughed. "I was thinking of dinner, but I like your idea too."

Rachel smirked suggestively as she took his hand and lead him quickly into the hotel. He hoped she had her own room, because he was sharing with Kurt. He knew how rigid Kurt was about his nightly moisturizing routine not being interrupted and he highly doubted he'd be willing to disrupt his routine just so his brother could get lucky.

His worries about the room were soon forgotten once Rachel led him into the empty elevator and practically attacked him as she jumped into his arms and bit his neck particularly hard. "I think I was born to kiss you," she whispered in his ear.

He pinned her up against the wall, kissing her mouth and neck hungrily, neither of them noticing a hand preventing the doors from closing and two men step in chatting happily until they noticed what was going on.

"Finn! Is that you? You found a girl! Carole's going to be so happy!" Todd exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Look, Derek, she looks gorgeous. I mean, what we can see of her."

Finn froze at the voices, his lips resting on Rachel's.

Rachel pulled away from him to look over his shoulder at the two men in the elevator. "I'm sorry, you have the wrong guy, this is _Sam,_" she said pleasantly before resuming her kissing. "What's wrong?" she asked when she noticed that he wasn't nearly as into it as before.

"Finn, you naughty boy! Wait till I tell Kurt what you're up to! To think we were coming to your room to tell you we found the perfect girl for you. Isn't my face red!" Todd continued, either not hearing or else ignoring Rachel.

"Sam?" Rachel asked again, this time with a touch of annoyance in her voice. "Who are these guys? Why does he keep calling you Finn?"

"We're Todd and Derek, we're on the Out and About Tour with Finn and Kurt," Derek added unhelpfully.

Rachel gasped in horror as she released her arms and legs from around Sam's body and slid to the floor. "Oh my God! You're _gay_? Kurt's your _lover_? But how? I felt-" Her eyes trailed down to Sam's groin, confirming what she'd felt, which just left her more confused.

"Finn's not gay, he just came to accompany his brother Kurt, since Blaine broke his leg," Todd explained, seeing as how Finn was simply standing there, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly. "I wouldn't complain if he was though."

"Why. Is. He. Calling. You. Finn." Rachel asked through gritted teeth. "Are you or are you not Sam Evans?"

Finn finally managed to speak. "No."

He blanched as Rachel slapped him hard across the face before she backed away from him in horror, her hand over her mouth. "I…I need to get out of here." She started pressing buttons frantically, not caring where the elevator stopped, as long as it did.

"Rachel, wait." He grabbed her arm, wincing when she began hitting him with her other hand. "Look, let me explain. My name's not Sam. It's Finn. Everything else I told you was true, except my name."

The elevator doors opened as he finished and released Rachel's arms. She said nothing as she stepped out of the elevator, but turned to look at him before the doors closed. He could see the hurt and disgust clearly written on her face, and he had to fight the urge to run to her and tell her she could call him Sam if it would make her happy again.

"Don't ever speak to me again, _Finn_."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Don't worry, no multiple chapters of angst and depression this time. Rachel is pissed.**_


	9. A Change of Plans

_**Disclaimer: Glee and The Fantastic Four do not belong to me.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Studies have shown that people convince themselves that they're acting rationally when making major decisions- where to go to college, what to major in, who to kiss or not kiss-when they're really acting on unconscious impulses. The human brain simply can't handle all the complexities that life offers, so emotions kick in and end up making the call. And when that call blows, people don't understand why.<strong>_

_**- **__**Charmed Thirds**_

* * *

><p>"Quinn! Open up!" Rachel screamed, incessantly banging on Quinn's door for added emphasis. She'd already tried Brittany's room, so she hoped they were hanging out in Quinn's room. "Quinn! Brittany! Open up!"<p>

"Rachel? What's the problem? Why are you pounding on the door?" Quinn asked as she opened the door. Rachel didn't answer, simply pushing Quinn aside as she stomped past Quinn into the room.

"What's going on?" Brittany asked from her position on the bed, her hair in large curlers and her face covered in a green mud mask. Quinn sat down next to Brittany, her own face covered in a pink mud mask. "Where's Sam?"

"I…he…then I…slapped…not Sam…" Rachel blurted out, her mouth unable to keep up with her stream of thoughts.

"Slow down, you're not making any sense. Where's Sam?" Quinn asked, holding her hands up in an attempt to make Rachel slow down.

Before Rachel could answer, the bathroom door opened. "Ok ladies, let's continue with our facials! Now remem- Oh, hello Rachel. Want to have a facial with us?"

Rachel whirled around at the sound of Kurt's voice. "Hello, Kurt. If that is in fact your _real_ name," she hissed.

Although Rachel couldn't see it, Kurt blanched under his chocolate face mask. "What...what do you mean?"

"Oh, don't play dumb. I'm sure you were in on this," Rachel accused, pointing a finger at Kurt.

"In on what? _What is going on_?" Quinn asked again, looking from Kurt to Rachel.

"Yeah, Rachel. Where's Sam?" Brittany added.

"Sam? You want to know where _Sam_ is? Why don't you ask Kurt? Or better yet, _Finn_?" Rachel said scathingly, crossing her arms and glaring at Kurt, who threw his hands in the air.

"I _told_ him it was a stupid idea!" he cried. "I _told_ him it was going to blow up in his face, but did he listen? Of course not! He was all _'I couldn't stop staring at her; this could be something, Kurt' _and_ 'Help me out Kurt'._"

"And you _did_? How could you?" Rachel demanded.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Quinn yelled, honestly confused. "Who's Finn?"

"Finn is Sam," Rachel replied simply. "Kurt's brother was only pretending to be Sam."

"That wasn't Sam?" Brittany asked stupidly. "But you had _The Moment."_

"No, it was a fraud. That wasn't Sam, so it couldn't have been the moment," Rachel insisted stubbornly. She'd been trying to convince herself of that ever since she'd left the elevator, and now she almost believed it. Throwing herself onto a chair across from the bed, she glared at Kurt. "He probably goes around lying to girls and saying what they want to hear just to get them into bed."

"No. Finn's not like that at all," Kurt blurted out, trying to defend his brother. "He's the complete opposite of a player."

"Right. Like I believe you. You were his accomplice in all this." Rachel continued to glare at him, daring him to deny it.

"Rachel, I swear on my wardrobe that I'm telling you the truth. Finn's _not_ that kind of guy. He's good looking, yes, but honestly has no clue. He could have a lot of girls, but he's oblivious, clumsy and too nice for his own good."

"Uh huh." Rachel rolled her eyes in disgust. "You're just saying that."

"It's true. You were with him all day; he didn't do anything stupid or clumsy?" Kurt insisted.

"He did fall out of the rowboat," Rachel admitted, giggling in spite of herself and then blushing at the memory of their kiss.

"Rowboat?" Kurt asked sharply.

"Yes, we took a ride in a rowboat on a lake. He actually surprised me when he said it was just like-"

"_The Little Mermaid_?" Kurt finished for her, attempting to arch an eyebrow. His now stiff mask made this impossible, so he settled for running his hand along his hair instead.

"Yes, how did you know?" Rachel looked at him. Here was a chance to see if _everything_ Finn had said was a lie. She stared at Kurt, waiting to see if his story matched Finn's.

"He and Carole have an obsession with that movie. Apparently they used to always watch it together when he was little, but now I think it's like a source of comfort for him. Last year, when he got dumped by that awful Santana, Carole made him his favorite dinner and afterwards they watched _The Little Mermaid _and_ Robin Hood_."

"Really? That's so sweet! He's tall like Prince Eric, and you can sing like Ariel, Rachel!" Brittany exclaimed, clapping her hands happily as she turned to Kurt. "Does he have a dog?"

"Carole always used to tell him, and me later on, not to be distracted by evil imposters like Vanessa because when you meet your Ariel, or in my case Prince Eric, you just know," Kurt went on, ignoring Brittany's question. "I know my brother, and I saw the way he was looking at you. I wouldn't doubt it if Carole's words were running through his head when he met you."

"But he _lied_. He could have told me at any point today and he didn't."

"Wait, did _you_ tell _him_?" Brittany asked. "About-"

"Brits, don't you need to get that stuff off your face?" Quinn interrupted, giving Brittany a meaningful look, hoping Brittany caught on. Fortunately, she did, and left to rinse her face off, humming "_Under the Sea"_ as she went. Quinn turned back to Rachel, taking in the way portions of her hair clumped to her head, making her wonder if Finn wasn't the only one who'd fallen out of the boat. "And you, why is your hair a mess and your clothes damp?"

Rachel blushed. "I may have fallen out of the rowboat too." She patted her hair self consciously. "Actually, I didn't fall in. Sam, I mean Finn, pulled me in after he fell in."

"See? I told you, he's a clumsy oaf, not a suave ladies man," Kurt said. "You've been walking around all day in wet clothes?"

"Fine. He's a clumsy liar. And no, we didn't walk around all day in wet clothes. I found a clearing and we dried our shirts on a rock." She smiled for a second, thinking of his hands and how good they'd felt as they roamed all over her body, until she remembered his lie. "The only reason I found out his real name was because of two men from your tour who interrupted us in the elevator."

"What do you mean, _interrupted us_?" Quinn asked slyly. She'd also noticed the blush earlier, and assumed she'd get the details once Kurt left, but Rachel had just given her the perfect opportunity to find out. "Is that a _hickey_ on your neck?"

Rachel blushed again, her hand coming up to cover the spot, trying _not_ to remember just how that got there.

"Okayyyyyy. Don't want to hear that stuff about my brother. I'm going to wash my mask off," Kurt announced, walking into the bathroom as a mask free Brittany came back and settled on the bed next to Quinn.

He walked into the bathroom, shutting the door. It didn't close completely behind him, but he figured it didn't matter since he was only washing his face. He quickly rinsed off the mask, the sound of the water drowning out Rachel's description of how she got that hickey. He began patting his face dry with a towel, groaning when he realized he could hear their conversation again.

_"So? Did you tell him?" Brittany asked. "What did he say when he found out you're engaged?"_

_"Nothing, because I didn't tell him."_

Kurt's mouth dropped open in shock. Rachel was _engaged_? She was giving Finn shit for lying about his name when she was engaged? He felt his rage growing and he reached for the door prepared to have the Diva of all smackdowns with Rachel for screwing with his brother. He paused, his hand on the handle, when he heard Rachel speak again.

_"I'm calling off my wedding."_ It was spoken quietly, and Kurt almost missed it. He stood still waiting to hear what came next.

_"Rachel, are you sure? That's a big step," Quinn said, a concerned tone to her voice._

_"I'm positive. For a while, I've felt that something was missing and now I know what it is."_

Kurt leaned closer to the door, wanting to make sure he didn't miss anything.

_"What was missing?"_

_"Jesse's **not** my soul mate. One afternoon spent with Finn and I felt more comfortable than I ever did with Jesse. Every time he kissed me, I felt it all over my body and I never wanted it to end. It just made realize everything that was wrong with my relationship with Jesse. If it was that amazing with Finn, imagine what it will be like when the real Sam comes."_

_"So what are you going to do? How will you find Sam?"_

He peeked out the door to see that Quinn had moved next to Rachel, one arm around her, while Brittany remained on the bed, appearing deep in thought, if that was possible.

_"Well, right now, I'm going to my room to call Jesse. I'll let you know what happens."_

Kurt could hear the determination in her voice, and he was slightly in awe at the fact that she was about to call off her wedding simply because she'd hung out (and made out, it seemed) with his brother. The door slammed a moment later, leaving Kurt unsure of what to do. Should he go out there and act like he'd heard nothing or should he demand answers?

Opening the door, he quickly made his choice.

He had a secret to keep.

For now.

* * *

><p>Rachel held the phone tightly to her ear, listening to the phone ring relentlessly. Oddly, she was completely calm, considering she was about to cancel her wedding and end her life as she knew it.<p>

"_Hello?"_ Jesse's groggy voice picked up after the third ring. Part of Rachel had hoped that he wouldn't answer and she could just leave a message, but she knew that wasn't fair to him.

"Hi, Jesse," Rachel said quietly. "Were you sleeping? Did I wake you?"

_"Rachel, is that you? Why are you calling me now? What number is this? I left you my itinerary; if you had bothered to check it, you'd have known that I'd be taking my nap right now. I don't know how many times I have to tell you how important my sleep is-"_

"We need to talk." The words left Rachel's mouth quickly, cutting Jesse off mid ramble.

_"Is this about the song list for the wedding? Because I **told** you that-"_

"I can't marry you." The instant the words left her mouth, the sense of relief that washed over her was incredible, and she knew she was doing the right thing. There was silence on the other end for a moment or two.

_"Very funny Rachy. Now about that song list. I called the DJ this morning and-"_

"I'm serious Jesse. I can't marry you. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and this is what's best for me," Rachel insisted. "I've felt like this for a while."

_"Are you kidding me? You're doing this two weeks before **my** wedding? Why have you never said anything before?" _Jesse's well modulated voice was starting to get a note of panic in it._ "Where is this coming from Rachel?"_

"It's coming from a lot of thinking and soul searching." She paused for a moment, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I didn't know when I met you that I'd marry you."

_"So? I didn't know either, nobody does, Rachy."_

"Quinn knew Noah was for her. So did Brittany and my grandparents. They all knew as soon as they met their significant other," Rachel said firmly. "And don't call me Rachy. I've always hated it."

_"Rachel, what's gotten into you? Have you been reading those stupid horoscopes again?"_

"No! I tried telling you before you left, and you brushed me off. I've known for a while that something was missing from our relationship but couldn't put my finger on it and now I know what it is." She struggled to find a way to explain what she was feeling. "I don't feel anything when we kiss."

_"What does that have to do with anything?"_

"It has everything to do with it. If we were truly meant to be together, a kiss from you should make my whole body tingle and it should feel like a slow steady burn every time. I should be able to feel what you're feeling." Rachel paused; pleased at the way she'd managed to describe how she felt when Finn kissed her. "I shouldn't want it to end. When you and I kiss, it's over and we just go on with our lives. It shouldn't be like that. When we kiss, I should want to jump back into your arms and keep kissing until I don't have anything left. I don't feel that when I'm with you."

_"So what are you saying?"_

"I love you Jesse, but I'm not _in_ love with you." She knew it was true. She loved Jesse like she loved her favorite old college t-shirt. It was comfortable and she knew when she put it on that it would be soothing, but it would never make her feel desired or sexy.

_"You're telling me that because of how you feel when we kiss, you won't marry me?"_ Jesse's voice came louder through the phone, not bothering to hide the panic in his voice. _"I **can't** be a bad kisser! Thousands of people have watched me emote emotion through my kisses on stage every night and believed me! Not to mention that I've never gotten any bad feedback from my leading ladies!"_

"See there you go. I just told you that I don't feel anything when we kiss, and right away you start talking about your leading ladies. _I_ should be what you think of when you talk about leading ladies, but I'm not and I never have been to you. And I'm not talking about technique. It's more than that." She paused momentarily, when a question popped into her head. "Do you know _The Fantastic Four_?"

_"The Fantastic Four?"_ Jesse didn't bother to hide the bewilderment in his voice. _"Rachel, are you drunk?"_

"Hear me out. Each member of _The Fantastic Four _has a superpower, like turning into rubber, having the ability to make fire, super strength or becoming invisible. If you had to pick one of those to be your superpower, which would you choose?" She held her breath, waiting to hear what his answer would be. Why this was so important, she didn't know, but she knew that a lot depended on his answer.

_"This is stupid. First you're telling me about what a crappy kisser I am, and now you're asking me about powers I'd want?"_

"It's not stupid," Rachel insisted. "Think about it. Which one would you have? There's conditions with being invisible and having super strength though. Every time you go invisible you lose your clothes and if you want super strength you have to look like a rock. So which one would you choose?"

_"This is insane. What the **hell **are you talking about? Superpowers?"_ Jesse demanded._ "You really are drunk, aren't you? You know how I feel about you drinking. You tend to do stuff that embarrasses me. Remember the Christmas party?"_

"I've never been more sober. And my singing Shakira didn't embarrass you. You should have been more embarrassed at the fact that you were annoying your cast mates with your constant criticism," she snapped, annoyed that he was bringing up her singing "_Whenever, wherever_" at the party. So what if she'd always liked that song? She was allowed to like songs other than Broadway classics.

If she had any doubts that she was doing the right thing, the fact that he refused to answer her simple question and play her game banished all doubts. "Why won't you answer the question?" she demanded.

_"**Rachel.** First of all, having super powers is impossible, so why waste time thinking about it and second of all, I'm not six and playing with my Fabulous Four action figure."_

"It's _Fantastic_ Four." Rachel didn't bother to conceal the coldness in her voice now.

_"Whatever. The point is is that this is a pointless conversation and I feel stupider as a result of it."_ She could almost picture him rolling his eyes on the other end of the line.

"It's _not_ stupid. This is part of the problem. You never listen to me and what I want or like. Sometimes I feel like I'm just an accessory to you." Exasperated, Rachel began pacing the room, wishing she could just hang up the phone and be done with him.

_"You haven't gone to the press with this have you?"_

She could hear the full fledged panic in his voice now, knowing that he was horrified at the thought of the press finding out he'd been dumped before he could do damage control. Rachel rolled her eyes. The fact that she was trying to explain to him how she was feeling and all he was concerned about was his public image just solidified the fact that Jesse wasn't right for her.

"Is that all you think about? Can't you ever just be _Jesse,_ and not Jesse St. James, Broadway star? If you were ever just Jesse, then you would actually think about me, and how I feel about things. You'd be concerned about my thoughts and feelings; instead, it's all about you and your image. Do you realize that through all these months of wedding planning, you have never once called it _our_ wedding, but always referred to it as _your _wedding? I often felt that I was going to be a guest at my own wedding! Sometimes I think you should just go and marry yourself!" Rachel tugged at her still damp hair in frustration, wishing she could make Jesse understand, but not regretting what she had just said.

_"Is there someone else?"_

"No," Rachel said firmly. She'd never told him about Sam Evans before; she didn't see why she should now and despite how the day had ended, she couldn't help but smile at the memories that had been created today. "But there is the _idea_ of one."

_"The **idea** of one? You're not making any sense. I'm coming home. Clearly you need medical help."_

"Don't bother coming home early. It won't do you any good because I'm not going to change my mind. Anyway, I'm not home."

_"But-"_

"Goodbye Jesse. Please don't call me again." She hung up the phone before he could say anything else.

She hadn't lied when she said there wasn't anybody else.

Then why did Finn's face pop into her head immediately?

* * *

><p>"Finn?"<p>

Finn didn't answer, hoping Kurt would go away. He stayed still on the bed, one arm thrown over his eyes, lying in the same position he'd been in since he'd come back to their hotel room –alone- and flung himself on the bed.

No such luck.

"Finn?" Kurt repeated, as he stumbled around the dark room, attempting to locate his brother.

"Go away, Kurt."

"I know all about it. I was in Quinn's room when Rachel came back," Kurt said, locating the light switch and flooding the room, illuminating Finn's prone body on one of the beds.

"Did you come here to gloat about being right and having it blow up in my face? How much does she hate me?" Finn asked flatly without removing his arm from over his eyes.

"She's pretty pissed," Kurt admitted. "But, I don't think she hates you. In fact, I think she likes you."

"Really?" Kurt's admission finally got Finn to remove his arm from over his eyes and actually sit up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Kurt saw that look in his eyes and held up his hand.

"Don't get me wrong. Right now, she'd like nothing more than to castrate you, but she couldn't stop blushing and giggling when she wasn't calling you a liar."

"So what did she say?" Finn shifted on the bed, realizing that his clothes were still damp. He pulled his shirt off and threw it in the direction of his suitcase, allowing Kurt to clearly see the love bites Rachel had left on his neck.

"She said that every time you kissed her, she felt it all over her body and she never wanted it to end." Kurt smirked. "Am I correct in assuming that since you two have matching hickeys that you felt like that too?"

"You have _no_ idea, Kurt. It felt like the rest of the world just dropped away every time we kissed. I don't care if I sound like a pussy, dude, because I'm telling you, I've never met anyone like her. I was right when I told you this could be something." He grabbed a clean shirt and pulled it over his head before grabbing his cell phone and seeing that he had three missed calls from his mother. "You didn't tell Mom anything, did you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Um...she may have called while I was shopping with Quinn and Brittany and she may have asked where you were and I _may_ have mentioned something about Rachel."

Finn groaned. "I can't call her now, not until this is all sorted out. What do you think I should do?" He started pacing the room, rubbing the back of his neck every few steps.

"Well, besides wear a cup whenever you're around her, I think you should try and explain once she's ready to hear it. But you should know that she's determined to find the real Sam."

Finn stopped mid-pace. "_What?_ She can't do that!"

"I assure you she can and she will."

He resumed his pacing again. "Doesn't she realize that this guy could be a real douche? He could be old, gay, married or even be a Samantha!" The thought struck him as funny and he stopped pacing again. "On second thought, I hope he is."

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, just as someone started knocking on the door. "Well, unless you find Sam first, you're never going to know. I'm coming!" Kurt called to whoever was knocking. He opened the door to find Brittany standing there. "Come in."

Brittany walked in, handing Kurt a small tube. "You left your mud mask in Quinn's room." She stopped short when she realized who else was in the room. "Oh, hi Sam…I mean Finn!" she said cheerfully.

"Hi, Brittany. How's Rachel?" Finn asked, confused by her tone. Didn't girls usually stick together? By that logic, if Rachel hated him, Quinn and Brittany should too. He eyed Brittany warily, watching in case she made any sudden movements towards his groin. He relaxed slightly when he saw her make her way past him towards the beds.

"She's pissed, but she'll get over it. You just need to keep trying," Brittany reasoned as she sat on Kurt's bed.

"Aren't you forgetting about _Sam_? She wants nothing to do with me. She told me to never speak to her again," Finn pointed out, practically spitting out the name Sam.

Brittany waved a hand dismissively. "I've known Rachel since we were eight years old. I was there for the prophecies, and I'm telling you, she doesn't mean that."

"What do you mean? She knows I'm not Sam and now she hates me." Finn threw himself on the bed opposite Brittany.

"She's going to find Sam," Kurt added. "She said so."

"Rachel has always believed in the idea of a soul mate and having _the Moment._ She told you about that right?" When Finn nodded affirmatively, she continued. "She spent years looking for Sam and she finally convinced herself that he wasn't coming and she needed to move on with her life. She did, but it was like she was just going through the motions." She turned to Kurt. "I know you were listening in the bathroom. Did you tell him?"

Kurt blushed and shook his head. "No."

"Tell me what?" Finn demanded, looking from Kurt to Brittany, who were having a silent conversation with their eyes about who should break the news to Finn. Kurt seemed to have won, so Finn turned to Brittany expectantly.

"Ok, promise me, you won't react until you hear _everything_ I tell you. Promise me." Brittany implored, holding out a pinkie.

"Uh, I promise." Finn hooked his pinkie into hers, which seemed to satisfy Brittany.

"Alright, so like I was saying, when Sam never came, she convinced herself that she needed to move on with her life, and eventually she did. She met someone named Jesse and began dating him. I got the feeling though that she held out hope that Sam would still come, even when she was with Jesse. Eventually, he proposed and they're supposed to get married in 10 days. _Stop_!" Seeing that Finn had jumped off the bed, she held up her hands to keep Finn from reacting further. To his credit, he sat back down and waited for her to continue.

"Like I said, she was just going through the motions. For a while, I've felt like Rachel knew something was wrong with her relationship, but didn't know what to do about it. She started asking questions about everyone else's relationships and I knew she was comparing it to her own. So when I heard Alitalia call Sam's name, I was sure it was a sign that she needed to do something." She paused to make sure that both Finn and Kurt were paying attention. "I saw her reaction when she saw you get out of the elevator. I know Rachel, and I know that even though she denies it now, that was _the Moment._ From what I saw earlier, and then just now, you're good for her, better than Jesse is."

"But she's engaged to Jesse," Finn said bitterly. "So forget Sam and forget me."

"That's the thing. She's not. As we speak, she's calling Jesse and calling off her wedding. Because of you." Brittany looked at Finn, her eyes begging him to understand what she was trying to say. "She says she wants to find Sam, but what she doesn't realize yet is that she's already found him. _You."_

"Huh?" He could see Kurt nodding in understanding but he had no clue what Brittany meant.

"_You're_ Sam. I know it." Brittany crossed her arms and dared either man in front of her to disagree with her. "You might not be Sam, but you're _Sam._ That's why you can't give up."

"That's what I was just saying. We just don't know what to do," Kurt confessed, seeing that Finn was trying to wrap his head around all that Brittany had just thrown at him.

Brittany smiled. "Well, fortunately for you, I have an idea."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I agree with Finn and Rachel. I'd totally want to be rubber like Mr. Fantastic, just because I'm super lazy like that.**_


	10. Brittany S Abrams, Matchmaker

**_Disclaimer: Glee does not belong to me_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>There is no chance, no destiny, no <strong>__**fate**__**, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.**__**"**_

_**- Ella Wheeler Wilcox**_

* * *

><p>Rachel fought back a yawn as she surveyed the plate of food in front of her. She hadn't slept that well last night, and combined with the time difference and jet lag, she was definitely rocking the heavy eyed tired tourist look. She pushed her sunglasses up her nose, grimacing. Whoever thought that it would be a great idea to serve breakfast poolside should be <em>shot<em>. The bright sunlight reflecting off the pool did little to help her current mood and neither did Brittany's incessant chirping.

"Isn't this gorgeous? I already took a ton of pictures of the garden and pool to show Lord Tubbington and Artie!" She gestured around, indicating her surroundings and Rachel had to grudgingly admit that it was gorgeous. The hotel itself was built onto a hilltop, affording a fantastic view of Rome spread out below. Rachel could see St. Peter's Basilica rising majestically in the distance and she frowned, thinking of the artwork housed there. Refusing to dwell on _who_ would enjoy seeing all that art, she forced herself to look around at the hotel grounds. The hotel itself was built on top of a hill, resulting in several different levels. The large rectangular pool was surrounded on three sides by palm trees and lounge chairs, while the fourth side housed a restaurant and tables. If she looked up, she'd be able to see an upper level, where a landscaped garden resided, along with another restaurant. Behind her, on a lower level was another pool and Jacuzzi. The hotel was renowned for its artwork, and the pool area was no exception. Priceless sculptures were scattered all around, making her feel as if she was at a royal palace.

It was _spectacular_. And she hated it.

She yawned again as she picked at her food, trying hard not to look at the sculptures, feeling as if the hotel had placed them all about to taunt her with memories of _him_.

"Didn't sleep well?" Quinn asked sympathetically as she sat back down in her seat, fresh from a trip to the bathroom. Since Brittany was nowhere to be found after she'd gotten off the phone with Jesse, Rachel had made her way back to Quinn's room, seeking comfort. Quinn had expected a few tears and remorse, but to her surprise, Rachel seemed fine, more focused on ranting about Finn's lies, finding Sam, and the cost of cancelling her wedding, in that order. Quinn had noted the lack of Jesse talk and at first put it down to denial and embarrassment, but as she sat there listening to Rachel, one thing became abundantly clear: Rachel was most definitely _not_ upset about ending her relationship.

"You could say that." Rachel pushed the food around on her plate. She'd spent most of her restless night going over the memories of her 8th birthday party, along with that day at the Chinese restaurant and she was loathe to admit that her day with Finn kept popping into her head. "Are you guys done? I really want to start figuring out how to find Sam, and at some point I'm going to need to go shopping since Quinn let Noah pack my suitcase."

Even with sunglasses covering Rachel's face, Quinn could see the scowl aimed in her direction. "Rest assured, I will be having a word with him when I get home," Quinn consoled her, as horrified by the contents of Rachel's suitcase as Rachel was.

She'd thought it had been a good idea to split up and let Puck pack Rachel's suitcase while she went and packed Brittany's since they were tight on time, but she'd been proven wrong when Rachel had opened up her suitcase and she'd seen what Puck had packed. Quinn had instructed her husband to pack essentials, which to her female mind meant a few dresses, skirts and tops, bras, panties and pajamas. Puck took that to mean the bridesmaid dress Rachel had worn for his wedding to Quinn, a sports bra and a thong, several skirts with random tops that don't match anything, a pair of winter pajamas, one pair of shorts and every bathing suit Rachel owned. There were no shoes, socks or toiletries to be found in Rachel's suitcase, although he did manage to put in a pack of condoms.

"Why don't we laze by the pool and discuss what to do? I think I see some lounge chairs over there," Quinn announced, gesturing to an area on the other side of the already crowded pool. The girls got up, making their way through the crowd, Mimosas in hand, managing to snag the last three chairs in a desirable spot.

"Do you realize Sam could be in the pool area right now?" Rachel mused as she placed her drink next to her chair.

"Wouldn't you know if he was? _The Moment_ and everything?" Quinn pointed out, taking a sip of her Mimosa.

"That's true. Maybe I should look around," Rachel decided, her eyes scanning the area ready to find Sam and have the moment. She frowned in annoyance as her eyes immediately found Finn instead, coming out of the hotel with Kurt just behind him. Her annoyance grew when she realized that he'd seen her too, judging from the way Kurt had crashed into him when he'd stopped short. She followed them with her eyes as they sat at a table, ready to order breakfast. Kurt seemed to be excited by something, since he was gesturing animatedly to Finn, who seemed just as excited.

"Nope, Sam's not here," she finally announced to Quinn and Brittany, who'd both watched Rachel not so subtly watching Finn.

"Maybe he's in the bathroom or something," Brittany added helpfully.

Rachel tore her gaze away from Finn to look at Quinn and Brittany. "I think we should find out what room he's in."

"How are we going to do that?" Brittany asked doubtfully.

"By putting my fantastic acting skills to use. Come on!" Rachel declared, standing up. She started to walk away, excited by her plan, leaving Quinn and Brittany no choice but to follow her. Unfortunately for Rachel, the path back to the doors to the hotel took her past Kurt and Finn's table, but luckily as the girls passed only Kurt was seated.

She walked quickly, determined to get away from the table before Finn came back from wherever he was, but had only managed to take a few more steps before she realized that Quinn and Brittany were no longer behind her. Irritated, she turned around to see that they had stopped to converse with Kurt and Finn, who was once again seated at the table.

Great.

Grudgingly, she stepped closer to their table, flushing in embarrassment when she saw Kurt's eyes scan her outfit, giving it a critical once over. Since the only clothing she had that matched were bathing suits, she'd put one on, but she'd been forced to borrow Brittany's swim suit cover up to actually make an outfit, borrowing flip flops from Quinn to complete the look. Brittany was about 7 inches taller than Rachel, which meant that the cover up flowed well past her knees.

"Hello, Kurt," she greeted in a normal tone, before she gave a small head nod in Finn's direction, her voice becoming stony. "Liar."

"Hey, Rachel. Where are you hurrying off to? Late for a wedding?" Finn asked in a pleasant voice. Rachel jumped at his choice of words. Did he _know_? No, she decided that was impossible, he'd just inadvertently hit on a nerve.

"Not that it's any of _your_ business, Finn, but I'm going to find out what room Sam's in," Rachel said coolly. She got a perverse sense of satisfaction when she saw how his face fell slightly at the mention of the name Sam, but it soon faded when her eyes met his and she could see the emotions swirling around in his eyes.

"I hope he's everything you think he is," Finn said quietly, his eyes never leaving her face. Rachel stared back, momentarily jarred by the intensity of his gaze, before regaining her composure.

"I'm sure he will be," she said haughtily. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to go. Come on girls." She turned to go, calling over her shoulder, "Good bye Kurt. It was nice seeing _you._" She could hear Brittany and Quinn saying leisurely goodbyes behind her, making plans to go shopping with Kurt later. "Brits! Quinn! Let's go!" Not bothering to wait for them, she started walking back into the hotel quickly.

"_Rachel_. Could you be any ruder?" Quinn hissed as she caught up to Rachel.

"Actually, I probably could be, considering I hate him," Rachel replied seriously, quickening her pace.

"For someone you hate, you sure stared at him a lot," Brittany observed. "I saw you watching him as soon as he came outside."

"I was merely sending death glares in his direction," Rachel said brusquely, trying to cover her embarrassment at being caught.

"I don't think you were," Brittany replied, noticing the blush on Rachel's face.

"I was so," Rachel insisted stubbornly. "I want him to be eaten by a lion."

Reaching the counter, she began pressing the bell repeatedly, annoying a group of Japanese tourists nearby. "Hello?" she called, her hand working the bell incessantly. "Hello?"

"Rachel, knock it off!" Quinn placed a hand over Rachel's, preventing her from ringing the bell again. "You're going to piss the employees off and they won't help you!"

A Concierge came out from the back, greeting them curtly in English. "Can I help you?"

Rachel ignored the '_I told you so'_ look Quinn was throwing her way and promptly switched from annoying tourist to smooth businesswoman. "Yes, I'm supposed to be meeting Sam Evans here for a business meeting, but he hasn't arrived yet. Could you be so good as to tell me what room he's in?"

"No, I'm sorry, we don't release that information," the Concierge replied shortly. "The privacy of our guests is of the utmost importance."

"But I'm a guest at this hotel!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Then you should know what room he's staying in, shouldn't you?" the Concierge replied, annoyed at the gross abuse of his bell.

Lack of sleep, combined with the fact that Rachel had just seen Finn enter the lobby out of the corner of her eye, caused her to snap. She leaned across the counter. "_Look_. I don't know if you're on a power trip or something, but you should know that my two gay fathers are _very_ active in the G-TAC, which I'm sure you're aware is the Gay Travel Advisory Committee. I'd _hate_ to have to tell them that I experienced rude customer service, so unless you want to lose a large percentage of your clientele, I strongly suggest that you tell me the information I want."

"_Signorina_,-" the Concierge began, completely unmoved by Rachel's threat.

"I'm sorry, she's just a little upset," Quinn cut in, attempting to move Rachel away from the counter.

Rachel stood firm. "I'm about to come face to face with the man I'm going to marry and you are preventing me from doing that." She leaned over the counter, pulling the Concierge close to her by his collar. "Do you not realize that you could affect my life? Do you really want that on your conscience?"

"_Signorina_, you need to move, there are other guests behind you waiting to be helped." The Concierge removed her hands from his collar and looked over Rachel to the guest standing behind her. Prepared to tell them that they needed to wait, she turned quickly, finding herself face to chest with someone. She stared at the very familiar chest for a moment before her eyes traveled upward.

"What do _you_ want? Are you stalking me now?" she hissed, trying not to notice how nice the slight stubble that was gracing Finn's handsome face looked on him.

"Not that it's any of _your_ business, but I'm leaving a note for another guest in the hotel," Finn replied simply, throwing her words from earlier back in her face. "Can I have some paper and a pen?" he asked the Concierge.

Rachel gawked at Finn for a moment as he casually leaned against the counter and wrote his note. She turned her attention back to the Concierge, prepared to launch a new attack. "I think-"

"Here you go," Finn said, handing the note to the Concierge, who glanced down at it.

"Ah, Mr. Evans is certainly popular today, isn't he?" he asked as he placed the note in the slot numbered 4812 behind him. Rachel's mouth dropped open as she realized that Finn had effortlessly gotten what she'd failed to. Her eyes narrowed as he turned and walked away.

"That was nice," Quinn murmured, pushing her in Finn's retreating direction, earning a glare from Rachel.

"He's just trying to get me to forgive him," Rachel replied tersely.

"Whatever his motives, the only thing you were about to get was _kicked out_," Quinn pointed out. "And need I remind you that _you_ weren't honest with _him_?"

"Excuse me, Quinn. _He_ lied. _I_ simply withheld information. There's a difference," Rachel insisted, looking to Brittany for support. "Don't you agree, Brits?"

"I agree that that was a nice thing to do. He certainly didn't have to help you, considering how rude you were to him."

Rachel threw up her hands. "I don't believe this. Why are you two taking _his _side? He's a liar!"

"But he's a handsome liar, don't you think?" Quinn mused, watching his retreating form admiringly. "Is he a good kisser?"

"_Yes_. He does this move where he…" Rachel responded automatically, her hand coming up to unconsciously rub the hickey on her neck. She paused, lost in a memory, snapping back to reality when she saw Quinn and Brittany both smirking. "Wait! What does that matter? I hate him, remember? He messed with my destiny!"

"Did he?" Brittany mulled this over. "Rachel, did you ever think that the fact that you keep missing Sam is a sign?"

Rachel threw up her hands. "I don't believe this! Every boyfriend I've ever had, you've always been like, '_but what about Sam, Rachel? How can you do that to Sam, Rachel?' _And now that I've finally found him, you suddenly doubt it?"

"I'm just saying, maybe Sam Evans is a means to an end," Brittany said cryptically. "But you know where he is, so what are you waiting for? Go knock on his door and have your moment. He's supposed to be behind a door, remember?"

"No. It's not the right time yet." Rachel shook her head, not quite sure _why _she was saying this. "Besides, I can't greet the man I'm going to marry looking like _this._" She gestured to her clothing. "Thanks to your husband, the only place I can go is either a wedding or a pool."

"Fine. Quinn and I are going shopping with Kurt anyway. We'll pick you up some clothes and when we come back, you're going to march up to his door and meet Sam." Brittany had a challenging look on her face that irked Rachel for some reason.

"I look forward to it. Until that time comes, I'll be poolside." Rachel turned on her heel, marching purposefully towards the pool.

"Care to fill me in on what that was about?" Quinn asked, arching an eyebrow at Brittany.

"It's Finn, I know it is. Rachel's too stubborn to see it," Brittany insisted. "You've seen them together; you know what I'm talking about."

"Their chemistry _is_ incredible," Quinn admitted. "But how do you know her chemistry with Sam won't be incredible too?"

"It won't be. Finn's Sam, I _know_ it."

"Well, Rachel doesn't think so, so there's nothing you can do about it," Quinn pointed out. "You can't change someone else's destiny."

"Kurt's here. Let's go shopping," Brittany said, changing the topic as Kurt came up to them, ready to hit the stores. "Good news, Kurt! Rachel needs a new wardrobe, since she doesn't have any clothes here, so we're shopping for her today!"

"She's not coming, is she? She looks like she'd try to fight my clothing choices and I _must_ have final say," Kurt stressed, the look on his face showing his elation at the idea of giving Rachel a makeover, as if Christmas had come early.

"No, she's staying here, so you don't have to worry," Quinn assured him as they walked out the door. The two fell into an easy conversation about possible wardrobe ideas for Rachel.

Brittany followed deep in thought.

Maybe she couldn't change destiny, but she could certainly give it a push.

* * *

><p>Rachel stretched out on her lounge chair, wishing she had a book or something to occupy her and keep her from <em>thinking<em>.

About Finn. About Sam. About the idea of having to tell her parents the wedding was off.

But mostly about Finn.

She shook her head, trying to clear her head of Finn and how cute he had looked with just the slightest bit of stubble. She flopped back on her chair, placing her arm over her eyes, exhaling loudly.

"Problems?"

Rachel peeked out from under her arm at the sound of the very familiar masculine voice. "What do _you_ want?"

"Nothing. I was just coming to relax by the pool while Kurt was out shopping."

Rachel continued watching Finn from under her arm as he peeled off his shirt, enjoying the sight of his broad chest and toned stomach, remembering all too well how it felt to run her hands along it. "Do you have to relax next to me?" she finally managed to ask crossly.

"Actually I do. This is the only chair not taken," Finn replied easily, settling himself on the chair next to her, trying not to notice how hot she looked in that little pink polka dot bikini. He'd always been fond of those bikini bottoms that tied on the side, and found himself fighting the urge to reach over and untie Rachel's, the thought of which was making his bathing suit uncomfortably tight. Before it became obvious, he forced himself to think of that mailman he'd hit with his mom's car when she was teaching him to drive, something he hadn't had to do in a _long_ time.

Rachel's eyes scanned the area, looking for any empty seat and scowled when she realized that Finn was right. "Whatever. I'm not talking to you."

He mimicked Rachel, leaning back and placing an arm over his eyes. He stayed like that for a moment, before remembering that he'd forgotten the sun block Kurt and his mom insisted that he use. Anytime he got even the slightest sunburn he had to hear both of them bitch, so over time he'd gotten into the habit of putting on the sun block. He sat up, grabbing the tube off his towel and squirting it into his hands. He could see Rachel doing a poor job of hiding the fact that she was watching from under her arm and he smirked, making a big deal out of rubbing his chest before he lay back on the chair.

"You forgot your back."

He glanced over at her. She still hadn't removed her arm from over her face, although she'd shifted it onto her forehead. "I thought you weren't talking to me?"

"I'm not. I'm just letting you know." She lowered her arm, leaning over to get her sunglasses out of her bag resting between their chairs before slipping them on and laying back. His eyes followed her long shapely leg as she raised it up on the chair.

"Oh. In that case, I didn't forget my back, I can't reach it. It doesn't matter, I'll just lie on the chair so it won't get hit by the sun," he replied, shrugging. To his mind, it sounded perfectly logical, but he immediately heard a tsking sound from the chair next to him.

"Spoken like a true male." She sat up and he could tell she was rolling her eyes behind her glasses. "Get up."

"Huh?" He glanced over at her, confusion on his face.

"Get up, so I can do your back and then return to not speaking to you," Rachel said impatiently, motioning for him to turn around. He sat up immediately, turning so he was facing away from Rachel. A fact he was incredibly grateful for, because the moment her small hands touched his skin, her fingers gently massaging the lotion into him and leaving a burning sensation as they danced lightly across his skin, he had to bite his lip to keep from letting a groan escape his mouth.

If he had been able to turn around, he would have seen that Rachel wasn't faring much better. She found herself babbling to keep herself from thinking about the tingling feeling spreading throughout her body, the mark she'd left on his neck in the elevator right in her line of vision. "If you don't do your back and just lay on it, your shoulders will be half red and half white. You'll look like a candy cane."

Reluctantly, she spread the last of the sun block on his back and rubbed it in. "There. I'm officially not speaking to you again." She placed the bottle on the ground and lay back on her chair as Finn settled back into his.

They were silent for a few minutes, the heat of the sun and the silence lulling Finn to sleep. He was just nodding off when he heard shuffling next to him. Cracking open an eye, he saw Rachel struggling to lower her chair back flat. He grinned as he silently reached over and turned the knob for her, causing her to fly backwards. "Finn!" she screeched, her arms flailing about, making him chuckle.

"Sorry," he shrugged as he closed his eyes again. "You looked like you needed help."

"I _don't_ need help from you," she sputtered as she sat up, mumbling to herself. Finn opened one eye slightly to see her tugging on the straps of her bikini top. He watched with interest as she pulled her hair to the side, still trying to tug on the straps tied in a knot behind her neck.

"Having trouble?" he asked, now fully staring at her.

She glared at him, still trying to untie the knot behind her neck. "I need to get my straps off so I don't have any lines, but Brittany tied it in a double knot."

"Oh, that's too bad." He wanted nothing more than to help her untie and lower her bikini top, but he wasn't about to offer his assistance when she'd made it perfectly clear she didn't want help from him. Summoning all the willpower he had, he closed his eyes, attempting to go back to sleep.

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"

He opened one eye to see her staring at him, arms crossed. "Yup."

"Fine," she huffed. "I'm only asking because there's no one else I know here, but can you untie my top?"

_Hell yeah._

Trying to look nonchalant, he sat up as she turned around, one hand over her chest, the other pulling her hair to the side. It was Rachel's turn to bite her lip as she felt his large fingers ghosting across her neck, clumsily attempting to disentangle the thin delicate straps. "There. All untied. You can go back to not speaking to me."

She smiled shyly at him over her shoulder as her hand held her top in place, reminding him of one of those centerfold models. He grinned at her for a moment, unable to resist adding, "Was that a smile? I thought you hated me."

She lay on her stomach, her head facing him as she reached behind her and unhooked the clasp, letting the straps fall to either side of her, completely exposing her back to the sun. "I do, but that was cute."

"Yeah, well, I have my moments." He lowered his own chair and lay on his stomach also, his head lying on one arm and turned towards her, while the other arm hung over the side of his chair. His eyes immediately noticed how her breasts were pushed up against the chair, the material of the bikini slightly bunching under her, exposing more of her breasts than normal and making them look larger than they were.

Not that he was complaining. From what he'd felt of her breasts yesterday, he knew her breasts might be small but they were _awesome, _fitting into his hands perfectly.

"Thank you, by the way." The words were spoken quietly and Finn almost missed them.

"For what?"

"For finding out Sam's room." She shifted slightly on her chair as she picked her head up to place it on her crossed arms. The movement caused her bikini top to drop slightly underneath her, allowing him a very quick glimpse of some nipple before she settled. He gulped as he felt his bathing suit tightening again.

_Mailman. Mailman. Mailman._

"Oh. It's no big deal," he managed to get out after a moment, once he'd controlled himself. He felt like he was back in high school again, watching the cheerleaders bend over in those little skirts and needing to place his football helmet strategically in front of him.

"It was to me." She stared at him. "Why did you do it?"

_Because I know he's going to be a douche and I want you to come back to me._

Resisting the impulse to blurt that out, he instead said what he felt. "Because I want you to be happy." He was quiet for a moment before adding, "Sam will make you happy."

Rachel gazed intently at him, reaching out and giving the hand hanging down from his chair a squeeze. He squeezed back, running his thumb over her knuckles, as he stared at her. His gentle caresses seemed to jar Rachel back to reality and she snatched her hand away from his, turning her head so that she was facing away from him.

He sighed, wishing more than anything that his mother had liked the name Sam.

* * *

><p>"So what do you think Rachel will say when she sees the clothes we got her?" Kurt asked Brittany and Quinn as they walked back into the hotel lobby, each one loaded down with bags.<p>

"Probably that they're too sexy and she couldn't possibly wear them," Quinn replied, knowing her cousin-in-law too well.

"Well from what I've seen her wear between yesterday and today, a fashion intervention was sorely needed," Kurt mused aloud, shifting his bags to from one hand to the other. "Finn seems to like her clothes, but that's a case of the blind leading the blind."

"Oh hold on, my shoe is untied." Quinn bent down just in front of the concierge desk, placing her bags on the ground next to her and ignoring the dirty look she was receiving from the Concierge that Rachel had yelled at, as he picked up the ringing phone.

"_Pronto?... Ah, Signore Evans!..."_

Quinn paused mid-tie, as did Brittany and Kurt, all three attempting to listen in on the phone call once they heard the name "Evans."

"…_Capisco_…_Sì, vi ho trovato un hotel in Costiera Amalfitana…per due giorni, oggi e domani, è vero?...ma ciononstante…gli telefono subito…"_

Brittany and Kurt promptly stared at Quinn, who placed a finger to her lips as she continued to tie her shoe lace very slowly. Only when she heard the Concierge hang up, did she stand and drag Kurt and Brittany behind a nearby faux sculpture of Michelangelo's _David_, keeping an eye on the Concierge at the same time.

"What did he say?" Brittany demanded, giggling. "Kurt, there's a penis next to your head."

"Shh!" Quinn whispered, her eyes darting between the concierge and Brittany. "He said, 'I found you a hotel on the Amalfi Coast for two days and then he said 'I'm about to call now."

"Amalfi? Where is that?" Kurt whispered, peeking out from behind _David's_ legs to see what Quinn was staring at.

"About three hours south of here." Quinn placed a hand on her lips again as she watched the concierge pick up the phone and dial a number. "Shh!"

The three of them peeked out from behind _David_, all focused on the actions of the Concierge, who'd begun talking into the phone. Quinn listened intently to the Concierge's end of the conversation, ignoring Brittany and Kurt's confused faces at the rapid Italian. She waited until the Concierge hung up the phone before opening her mouth. "Alright, here's the deal. He's at a business meeting in Rome right now, but he has business in Positano for the next two days and needs a hotel there. Apparently, he's too busy to call himself."

"So we're heading to Amalfi? Let's go get Rachel!" Brittany squealed, ready to run and find Rachel.

"Brits-" Quinn began.

"We can stay at your family's hotel! It's too perfect!" Brittany clasped her hands in sheer excitement.

"But-" Quinn tried again, needing to point out just how _not_ perfect it was.

"No. Didn't you say that you can't change destiny? If Rachel's meant to be with Sam, she's _got_ to go to Amalfi." Brittany crossed her arms, looking from Quinn to Kurt.

"The Concierge never-" Quinn stated, but was cut off by Kurt this time.

"I think Brittany's right. If Rachel has to wait around here for two days, she'll kill Finn and if I don't come home with Finn, Carole will kill _me_," Kurt replied, not wanting to face the wrath of his step-mother.

"Oh, don't worry about that Kurt, she can kill him in Amalfi, because you two are coming with us," Brittany replied cheerfully.

"I did just buy all that beachwear," Kurt said thoughtfully, immediately on board.

"See? It's meant to be, Quinn!" Brittany squealed.

"Fine." Quinn sighed in resignation. "Let's go find Rachel."

She decided to keep the fact that the Concierge had never said what hotel Sam was staying at to herself, figuring that if Rachel was _truly_ meant to be with Sam, she'd find her way to him, right?

* * *

><p>"Rachel!"<p>

Rachel picked her head up at the sound of her name. She'd fallen into a comfortable slumber and beside her she could see that Finn had done the same. Against her will, she found herself smiling at how adorable he looked lying on the chair, his mouth hanging slightly open and his hair mused, looking like a little boy. Her smile turned to a frown when she realized that at some point during her nap, her left hand had somehow managed to find Finn's right hand once again, leaving their fingers slightly intertwined on the ground between their chairs. She quickly released her hand from his before anyone could see.

"Rachel! Rachel! Rachel!"

"What? What? What?" She mimicked Brittany's excited yells, laughing as Brittany jumped excitedly onto Rachel's chair.

She started to sit up; until she remembered that she was technically topless. Blushing furiously, she snuck a look at Finn, the only one whose vantage point would have enabled him to be able to see anything. Luckily for her, he was still sound asleep and she quickly clasped and tied the straps, adjusting her top as she sat up. "Are those my clothes?" she asked, pointing to the bags pooled around her and Finn's chairs and reaching for the nearest one. She pulled out a low cut sundress. "Hmm. This is a little sexy, don't you think?"

"Rachel, focus!" Brittany snapped her fingers in Rachel's direction. "We have something important to tell you!"

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked Kurt as she ignored Brittany, lying back on the seat and watching as Kurt snagged a glass from a passing waiter and emptied it in a nearby potted plant. He walked over to the pool and filled it with water.

"Waking up Sleeping Beauty over here. He sleeps like the dead," Kurt responded, walking back over to Finn. He quickly threw the water in his face, before jumping on top of him with a practiced air.

The combination of the water hitting his face and Kurt's weight woke Finn up immediately. "Dude! What the hell? You swore you wouldn't jump on me anymore!"

"Yeah, well, you swore you wouldn't bring a puffy vest to Italy and I saw it in your suitcase this morning," Kurt replied from his position on top of Finn.

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with-"

"Can I tell Rachel now?" Brittany cut in, stopping the brotherly squabble.

"Tell me what?" Rachel asked, watching the silent battle now going on between Finn and Kurt with amusment until the thought crossed her mind that she _really_ wouldn't mind sitting where Kurt currently was.

"Kurt, Quinn and I found Sam!" Brittany squealed.

"_What_?" Rachel cried, flying into a sitting position. "_No_! I'm not-"

"_How_?" Finn yelled, moving suddenly and dumping Kurt unceremoniously off his back and onto the ground.

"We didn't see _him, _per se, but we heard a conversation about him. He's going to Amalfi today," Kurt clarified, picking himself off the ground and wiping any dirt off of his immaculate clothes.

"Amalfi?" Rachel asked, looking at Quinn.

"Yes, pack your bags," Quinn replied. "We're going to stay at my family's hotel."

"We're following him to Amalfi!" Brittany exclaimed, noticing immediately that Rachel's eyes had flickered over to Finn. "Aren't you so excited? Or would you rather stay here?" she asked innocently, looking from Rachel to Finn, who had a put out look on his face.

"_Of course_ I want to go," Rachel proclaimed, both Quinn and Brittany noticing the exaggeration in her tone. "I did come here to meet Sam, after all. The _real_ Sam, I mean," she added with a pointed glare at Finn.

"In that case, Brits, you go get the train schedule and check us out of the room. Rachel and I will pack our bags," Quinn directed.

Rachel nodded, climbing off the chair and starting to walk away. She'd only taken a few steps when Quinn's next words stopped her in her tracks.

"Kurt, pack _only_ essentials for the beach. We'll meet you two in the lobby."

Rachel spun around. "What? _He's_ coming?" she spat out, gesturing to Finn.

"Of course they're coming. Why wouldn't they?" Brittany asked in a surprised tone, pleased at Rachel's reaction.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because _he's_ a liar and _he _helped him lie?" Rachel responded, pointing to Finn and Kurt in turn.

"I really think you need to get over that," Finn retorted. "It's not like we were getting _married_ and I lied to you."

Rachel was shocked into silence. That was the second time today he'd referenced marriage, but it _had_ to be a coincidence. She narrowed her eyes, trying to think of a good response. Before she could think of one, Quinn cut in.

"Regardless of who lied to who, Kurt's my friend, and he put together a whole new wardrobe for me, Brittany and even _you, _so as a thanks, they're coming with us to Amalfi and staying as my guests."

"But-"

"No buts, Rachel. They're coming," Quinn insisted firmly. "Now go pack or I'll pack for you like Puck did."

"Fine." She narrowed her eyes at Finn. "But my not talking to you rule is still in effect."

Finn laughed. "You won't last five minutes."

Rachel crossed her arms in defiance. "I'll have you know, that thanks to my years of training in the arts, I have achieved a level of dedication that most people simply cannot imagine. When I decide to do something, it gets done."

"35 seconds," Finn replied, glancing at his watch and smirking as he turned to Kurt. "Told you she wouldn't last five minutes."

"Arghhh!" was the only thing Rachel could think of to say as she stormed off, Quinn following behind and trying to hide her laughter.

"You just spoke to me again!" Finn called after her, laughing.

"Are you sure about this?" Kurt asked. "Us coming, I mean. She seems pretty agitated."

"I'm positive." Brittany looked from Kurt to Finn, hooking an arm through Finn's and walking off, leaving Kurt to struggle with all the shopping bags. "She probably just needs to get laid. That always helps me take the edge off," she added slyly, looking up at Finn, who promptly blushed.

"So, uh, when do we, uh, get to hear about this idea?" Finn stammered as they strolled along. Thanks to Brittany's comment, his mind was now flooded with images of Rachel naked and writhing in pleasure underneath him. He summoned the mailman quickly, before Brittany noticed anything, relaxing when he felt himself under control again. He could hear Kurt muttering behind him about how carrying heavy loads would dry out his hands and he smirked, wishing he had his cell phone to snap a picture of it.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything. You just go along with it," Brittany said confidently. Despite Rachel's quick movements, Brittany had seen their hands intertwined as they slept and was now convinced more than ever that Destiny was using Sam to get Rachel to Finn. Sam going to Amalfi had thrown her for a loop, but the plan she was forming would work just as well, if not better, there. Judging from the conversations she'd had with Rachel today, and watching closely any interaction she'd seen Rachel have with Finn, she could see that Rachel was starting to waver on the idea of Sam. Brittany had the feeling that Rachel was only going through with finding Sam simply to punish Finn, and if that was the case, Brittany was more than willing to help Rachel see the flaw in that logic and find her true soul mate. She grinned at Finn.

It was time to give Destiny a hand.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Next chapter should be up shortly and will include some familiar faces!_**


	11. Chemistry Lessons

**_Disclaimer: Glee does not belong to me_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Henry<strong>__: Do you really think there is only one perfect mate? _

_**Leonardo da Vinci**__: As a matter of fact, I do. _

_**Henry**__: Well then how can you be certain to find them? And if you do find them, are they really the one for you or do you only think they are? And what happens if the person you're supposed to be with never appears, or she does, but you're too distracted to notice? _

_**Leonardo da Vinci**__: You learn to pay attention. _

_**Henry**__: Then let's say God puts two people on Earth and they are lucky enough to find one another. But one of them gets hit by lightning. Well then what? Is that it? Or, perchance, you meet someone new and marry all over again. Is that the lady you're supposed to be with or was it the first? And if so, when the two of them were walking side by side were they both the one for you and you just happened to meet the first one first or, was the second one supposed to be first? And is everything just chance or are some things meant to be?_

_**Leonardo da Vinci**__: You cannot leave everything to Fate, boy. She's got a lot to do. Sometimes you must give her a hand._

_**-Ever After**_

* * *

><p>Feeling like she was on the Hogwarts Express, Brittany glanced at the passing countryside outside the train window, tapping her fingers against the armrest impatiently. For the thousandth time, she glanced down at her phone, checking for the email she'd been anxiously waiting for.<p>

Nothing.

Sighing, she checked on the other occupants of the compartment, all of whom were asleep. She smirked, noting with satisfaction that Rachel's head was resting on Finn's shoulder, her arm looped through his and her hand lying on his leg. Finn's sleeping head was resting lightly on top of Rachel's. It had taken quite a bit of maneuvering on Brittany's part to get the two of them sitting together, only managing to do so by getting Kurt started about the latest trends in fashion. She counted on him pulling out his latest editions of _VogueItalia _to illustrate his points, quickly pulling Quinn with her over to Kurt and Finn's seat, effectively squeezing Finn off and forcing him to sit next to Rachel. Quietly, Brittany pulled out her camera and snapped a picture of the two of them, pleased that she'd just taken their first photo as a couple.

For they _would_ be a couple. She, Brittany S. Abrams, neè Pierce, would see to that.

She was the Maid of Honor after all. Yes, it was her responsibility to throw Rachel a Bridal Shower and a Bachelorette Party, two things she'd done admirably, but it was also her responsibility to assist Rachel in anything that she needed, and right now, Rachel needed assistance in finding the right groom.

Even if Rachel didn't know it.

Her phone vibrated, indicating an email. She opened it immediately, reading the words Artie had sent from Copenhagen.

**_B-_**

**_He's at the Hotel Leonardo. Why did you want to know?_**

**_Miss you,_**

**_Artie_**

Satisfied, Brittany put her phone away, stealing one more peek at the still sleeping Rachel, who at the moment was snuggling in closer to Finn, a smile on her face as she dreamed. Brittany smiled at the sight in front of her.

It was time to put her plan into action.

* * *

><p>"We're here!" Quinn squealed as the cab pulled up to a large, three story stone building bearing the name "<em>Hotel Fortuna dal Mare" <em>across the front, with the narrow windows that Rachel had noticed in many buildings in Rome, decorated with window boxes overflowing with colorful flowers. Excitedly, Quinn jumped out of the cab, forgetting her bags and heading for the arched front door. The large bay window next to the door allowed Quinn to see who was in the lobby, and she squealed once again before running inside.

Rachel, still slightly green from the cab ride, climbed out next, taking in her surroundings in awe. She didn't think she'd ever seen such a beautiful place. Her mouth had been hanging open the entire ride from the train station as the cab navigated the hairpin turns the region was famous for. To her disgust (and deep down secret delight), she found herself gripping Finn's arm at every turn, very much aware of how the cliffs simply dropped off next to the road, leaving an amazing (and terrifying) view of the deep blue sea far below and the incredibly close proximity of the mountains on the car's other side. Bright clumps of wild flowers were growing in random spots along the mountains and someone had carved sculptures into the mountain side. She could tell that Finn was itching to get his hands on some paper and sketch the beauty surrounding him.

Not that she'd been looking at him or anything.

She watched him now out of the corner of her eye as he helped the cab driver get the luggage out of the trunk. He smiled at her for a moment before turning his attention to Kurt's mountain of luggage. Despite Quinn's directive to pack only essentials, Kurt had still managed to fill two big suitcases along with his suit bag and train case and had tried for a third before Finn threatened to send Blaine a copy of all of the bills Kurt had been planning on hiding from Blaine if he didn't leave the rest of his clothes behind in their room in Rome.

"Marco! Luca!" Quinn called happily across the lobby as soon as she spied her cousins behind the desk. Rachel followed, vaguely recognizing them from Quinn and Noah's wedding, but stopped short when she stepped into the lobby, causing Kurt to crash into her.

The lobby was large and airy, with arched ceilings that mimicked the great cathedrals. The entire room was white, the only color coming from the floral pattern scattered on some of the tiles. Rachel could see another room that judging by the clusters of seating must serve as a living room and what appeared to be a solarium beyond. Through the windows of the solarium, she could see the blue sky and she ached to get out there and see the view.

"Quinn! This is amazing!" Rachel whispered. Beside her, she could see Kurt and Brittany having the same reaction she'd just had.

"This is nothing. Wait till you see the back," Quinn replied before rushing over to greet her cousins.

"Quinnie!" A small rotund woman with graying hair came out of a room behind the desk. Arms outstretched, she ran to Quinn, enveloping her in a big hug. "_Dov'è la bambina?"_ she asked immediately.

"Beth's at home with Puck," Quinn replied as she dragged her and her cousins over to where Rachel, Brittany, Kurt and Finn were standing. "Marco, Luca, you remember Rachel and Brittany from my wedding right?" she asked in English, before translating the same into Italian for her aunt, who quickly cut her off.

"I speak English _adesso_. I study," she announced proudly. "I surprise, no?"

Quinn hugged her quickly. "That's so great!"

"Brittany! Arturo no come?" she asked, looking for any sign of Artie's wheelchair.

"No, he's in Copenhagen," Brittany replied as she hugged Antonia, followed by Marco and Luca.

"And Rachele! Where is…?" she struggled trying to think of the word in English, finally reverting back to Italian. "_Dov'è l'uomo pomposo?"_

Quinn snorted, knowing that Antonia meant Jesse when she asked where the pompous man was. She quickly explained in Italian that Rachel and Jesse had broken up and not to mention him. Antonia nodded in understanding as she hugged Rachel.

Curiously, she turned to Kurt and Finn. Her eyes lit up when she saw Finn standing near Rachel. "_Rachele_! Is your new boyfriend, no?" she asked, pointing to Finn. He is…how you say…_pezzo?" _She turned to Quinn for translation, who smiled and simply said, "hunk."

"Ah, yes, hunk," Antonia agreed, pronouncing "hunk" as "unk". "He hunk."

Finn blushed, while Rachel attempted to straighten Antonia out. "Oh no, Antonia, he's not my boyfriend. He's just…here," she finally finished, not willing to explain the situation to Antonia. Luca's eyes widened when he heard Rachel say Finn wasn't her boyfriend.

"No? Why no? You no think he hunk?" Antonia insisted, looking from Rachel to Finn, who both refused to look at each other.

"I…well…uh…" Rachel stammered.

"Yes, he hunk or no, he no hunk. Is easy question," Antonia demanded, waiting expectantly for an answer.

Rachel sighed, knowing from past experience that Antonia wouldn't give up. "Yes, he hunk," she finally answered to the delight of Brittany, Kurt and Quinn, the annoyance of Luca and the embarrassment of herself and Finn.

Quinn, feeling Rachel and Finn had suffered enough embarrassment, decided to officially introduce Kurt and Finn. "Tonia, Marco, Luca, these are my friends, Kurt and his brother Finn."

Antonia greeted each in turn, paying particular attention to Finn. She quickly turned to her sons, issuing directions about bringing the luggage to rooms before turning to the little group. "Come. We eat." She grabbed Finn's arm and led him through the lobby towards the back of the hotel, the rest of the group following.

An audible gasp was heard from each of them as Antonia led them through adjacent room and outside to a flight of stairs. The hotel was literally built into the side of a cliff. While the main part of the hotel was built near the top of the cliff, the rest of the hotel was built wherever the cliffs would allow. Restaurants, terraces and building jutted out from various spots and levels of the cliffs, while far below the stairs they were currently standing on a pool could be glimpsed, with a dock leading out into the ocean just below it. No matter which way any of them looked, the cliffs rose majestically against the bright blue sky, while the sea crashed lazily against the base.

Kurt immediately took out his phone and started recording the view as he followed Antonia, who still had Finn's arm, down the stairs and towards a restaurant just above the pool area.

"Welcome to the Restaurant by the Sea," Antonia said proudly, gesturing to the group to enter the outdoor restaurant. The terrace was covered by a thatched roof, almost like a tiki room, while a wooden fence kept people from falling off the cliff and down into the pool area. Round tables were scattered around the terra cotta covered floor and the only wall was the cliff itself. The poles supporting the tiki style roof were covered in flower covered vines and ivy.

Antonia led them over to a large round table near the edge, giving them a fantastic view of the sea and coastline. She placed Finn in a chair, sitting on one side of him, while gesturing to Rachel to sit in the seat on Finn's other side. "Rachele! You sit here!"

Rachel, feeling it best not to contradict Antonia, immediately sat where requested. Kurt, Quinn and Brittany, free to choose their own seats, sat down around the table.

"Beautiful, no?" Antonia asked, pointing to the sea.

"It's amazing," Finn agreed, wishing more than anything he had a piece of paper and some paints, thinking that his mom would totally love a landscape painting for her bathroom.

"The hotel has been in the family for generations," Quinn explained. "I spent many summers waiting tables right here." She laughed at the memory as Antonia signaled to a nearby waiter to bring menus.

"Is there significance to the name?" Kurt asked curiously.

"Quinn, tell the story. I get drinks," Antonia announced as she got up and walked off towards the bar.

Quinn looked around the table with a little smile, ready to recite the story she'd heard so many times. "You probably don't know this, but the full name of the hotel is _The Fortune of the Kiss by the Sea_, although we just call it the _Fortune of the Sea_. It got the name because the locals strongly believe that this area has been enchanted by a band of gypsies. According to legend, a band of gypsies came to this village, wanting to fish. No one wanted to help them believing they were thieving, conning, unscrupulous people. But one girl wasn't like the rest of the village; she just saw them as a family trying to provide for themselves. She offered to show them the best place to fish from the shore, and because of her kind heart and generosity, the gypsies caught enough fish to last them awhile." She paused for a moment, waiting for her just arrived cousin Luca settle in the empty chair next to Rachel before she continued.

"That night they invited the girl to help celebrate their good fortune. It was loud and raucous, the dancing, singing and merriment. As the night wore on, the matriarch of the gypsies pulled the young girl aside, thanking her for her help when no one else would. Wanting to return her kindness, the wise sage asked her what she wanted most in the world. The girl blushed telling how much she wanted to find true love, her soul mate. At nineteen, the girl was considered an old maid by the village, and it made her sad thinking she would never know love."

"_Nineteen_'s an old maid?" Brittany interrupted. "What does that make Rachel?"

Laughing at the glare Rachel threw Brittany, Quinn continued. "Anyway, like I was saying, the matriarch took one look at the girl, with a twinkle in her eye and a smile revealing her gnarly teeth, and held her hands up to the full moon, singing something in the gypsy language. When she had finished, she told the girl that during the next full moon, if she was kissed at the shore of the harbor, the man that kissed her would be her soul mate and they would be married within the next six months. Smiling and nodding to appease the matriarch, the girl left to go home, not putting much thought into the enchantment." She paused again, pleased that she had the attention of the whole group, with the exception of her cousin, who was staring at Rachel. She frowned for a moment at that, but quickly picked up the story.

"Forgetting the gypsy's words, the girl went about her life for the next month, helping her family and at night trying to forget her loneliness. A month after meeting the gypsies, the village children had chanted "Old Maid" as the girl walked through the village. Not being able to take it anymore, the girl had run, finding herself at the shore. She threw herself down on the sand, crying at what her life had become, shocked to find a young man she had never seen before sit down next to her, attempting to comfort her. Wiping her tears away, she introduced herself and found out that he was the nephew of one of the fisherman. His uncle was ill and he was going to be taking over his boat, and had just come to town. Both of them talked through the day and into the night, sharing everything about each other. As the moon rose to its highest point in the sky, the young man leaned over and kissed the girl. Both of them claimed that as they kissed, it was like the stars were showering down on them."

"_The Moment,"_ Rachel said softly.

"Yup. Three months later the two were married along the shore of the harbor. And a year later, they opened up the first _The Fortune of the Kiss by the Sea, _a place where anyone can find their destiny. This legend has been passed down from generation by generation, and it is believed that if a young lady stands on the shore during the full moon, even if she doesn't know her soul mate, fortune will bring him to her." She could see the story had an impact, as the table was very quiet. Rachel especially seemed lost in thought.

Antonia sat back down at the table, gesturing to the waiter to pass out the glasses of _Limoncello, _the specialty drink of the region and the _antipasti_. She looked from Rachel to Finn. "Quinn tell you, yes? You seek answers, you just ask the sea. Now, _mangia!_"

Rachel stared out at the sea wondering if it was really that easy.

* * *

><p>Finn frowned, trying to capture the scene in front of him. His eyes flickered from the paper in front of him to the lone sailboat bobbing merrily in the water, framed by the rugged coastline behind it, trying to capture the way the buildings dotted the coastline. Quickly, his charcoal pencil danced across the paper creating a mirror image of the view. He cast his eye over it critically, fixing the occasional line until he was satisfied.<p>

"You're very talented."

Finn jumped at the sound of Rachel's voice. Startled, he turned to see Rachel peering over his shoulder. Embarrassed, he tried to hide his paper, surprised when Rachel placed her hand over his.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed by your talent," Rachel admonished as she took the paper from him and stared at it intently. She leaned against the railing absorbing the vista.

"I'm not embarrassed, I just prefer to keep my art to myself until it's finished." Unable to help himself, he pulled out a fresh piece of paper and began sketching Rachel as she stared out to sea, appearing deep in thought.

"Why?"

"Why what?" he asked, furiously sketching her, his eyes moving rapidly from her silhouette to his paper.

"Why do you keep it to yourself? Don't you _want_ to show everyone your talent?" The words poured from her mouth unexpectedly. Despite her protests, Brittany had sent her to tell him that they were going to be playing volleyball in the pool. She'd planned on informing him and then marching immediately out of the room, but when she saw him lost in a trance as he sketched, she found herself simply staring. He seemed so serene, so at peace, alone with his paper and pencil.

"Of course I do, but I don't do it for them. I do it for me, just like I'm sure that you sing to make yourself happy." He continued sketching, trying to finish before she moved too much. "Talent's not about showing off and being the best, it's using what you've been given to make yourself and others happy."

Rachel frowned at this. Singing had always made her incredibly happy, as did performing on Broadway, but for some time, she'd felt a change in her attitude towards her chosen career. If she was honest with herself, she could probably pinpoint it to meeting Jesse. He'd never outright said it, but she could tell that he felt that he was more talented than her and his attitudes and beliefs about talent or lack thereof, had begun to rub off on her. When he'd hear street performers, he'd always make the comment that those people were wasting their time and insulting talented people like himself, that they had no business singing. Rachel had never agreed with this, if it made them happy, who was Jesse to tell them they shouldn't be singing? She'd brought up the point once with Jesse, who proceeded to talk to her as if she was in Kindergarten, explaining that when someone is as talented as he is, he should only surround himself with talent of equal or greater value (should any be around). Street performers and Karaoke were an insult to his delicate musical palette.

When Jesse had gotten the role as Curly in _Oklahoma!_ she'd offered to run lines with him as Laurie, but he'd turned her down, claiming that since she'd never had a lead before, she would be unable to cope with the amount of songs and lines. Somehow, she'd become jaded by the Jesse and the cutthroat industry, forgetting what it felt like to just _sing._ When she sang that song for Finn the other day on the rowboat, that was the first time in a long time she could honestly say she felt joy when she sang.

"You're right," she said thoughtfully, almost to herself. "I go on all these auditions and I sing, but I'm not singing for me. I'm singing for the producers. Maybe that's what's missing."

"There. All done," Finn decided, pleased with his sketch of Rachel.

"With what?" Rachel asked, still unaware that Finn had been sketching her the whole time.

"I call it _Portrait of a Broadway Diva_." He held out the paper almost shyly.

Rachel took the paper from him, shocked to see herself on the page. Finn had managed to capture the pensive mood she was in, the conflicting emotions she was feeling clearly shown on her face. He'd even drawn in the way the wind was gently moving her hair, along with the habit she had of biting her lip whenever she was nervous or thinking of something. It was so lifelike, she felt like she was looking at herself in a mirror. She looked back up at him, her mouth hanging open. "You...you truly have a gift," she finally managed to stammer out.

Finn rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It's nothing."

"I'm serious, Finn, this is amazing." Rachel couldn't take her eyes off the paper, still in disbelief at how well she'd been drawn. "I would love to be able to draw like this. I can't even draw a straight line."

"Drawing's not about lines. It's about drawing what you see. Like when I drew that picture of you, I could tell that you were thinking of something that's been bothering you." Rachel's head snapped up at his words.

"Thank you." She took a step towards him, closer the already small gap between them, watching as his tongue darted out, licking his lips, his eyes following her every move. She continued stepping towards him, until the gap was nonexistent. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. She left her arms around him as she removed her face from his, staring at him. His tongue came out to lick his lips and she closed her eyes, starting to lean towards him again, this time towards his lips. His own eyes closed as he started to close the already tiny gap between their lips.

"Rachel? Did you find Finn?"

The haziness that had momentarily taken over Rachel's brain cleared up immediately when she heard Brittany's voice.

She'd almost kissed _Finn_. What was wrong with her? She hated him, she really did, yet she almost kissed him. Stepping away from Finn quickly, she called out, "I got him, Brits!"

"Is he going to play volleyball with us?" Brittany asked, coming out onto the terrace and looking from one to the other.

"Do you want to play with us?" Rachel repeated, taking a step towards Brittany.

_If us is me and you then hell yes _was the first thing that popped into Finn's head, but he controlled his word vomit for once, managing to sound cool and collected, or so he hoped. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'll play."

"Good." Without another word, Rachel marched off the terrace, leaving a confused Brittany and Finn holding his hand to his cheek, finding it very disconcerting to know that she _still_ wanted to kiss him.

* * *

><p>Rachel followed Quinn and Brittany down to the pool area, still in awe at the scenery around her. She glanced up, seeing the main part of the hotel far above her, assuming that Finn was up there somewhere getting ready. She smiled as she thought of the drawing, then immediately frowned, when she remembered that she wasn't here for drawings from Finn, she was here to meet Sam. Whatever had been about to happen would have been a mistake, since <em>Sam<em> was her Soul Mate, not Finn.

Sam. She wondered what he was doing right now. He was probably a bigwig CEO of a company, she decided, since Quinn had said he was here on business. He probably jetted off to foreign countries all the time, so she should really get used to staying in places like this. Maybe after they were married, they could come here for their honeymoon, she mused. Quinn had mentioned the amazing honeymoon suites with the private pools; she'd have to check it out. She was just about to ask Quinn, when she found herself crashing into Brittany, who'd just crashed into Quinn.

"Oh no." Quinn stared in dismay at the pool area, her eyes focused on the bartender, who was talking to a blonde woman.

"What?" Brittany asked, her eyes following Quinn's, but seeing nothing amiss.

"Aunt Sue is here," Quinn said flatly, pointing to the blonde woman Marco was talking to.

"Is she the one who wore the track suit and pearls to your wedding?" Rachel asked, stifling a laugh at the memory. Quinn's mother had been furious, wanting everything just so and the sight of her sister in a track suit and pearls at a Black Tie wedding had almost caused her to have a breakdown.

"The one and only. I don't think she's seen me yet. Let's get seats away from her," Quinn whispered, hurrying over to some empty seats, watching as Aunt Sue threw a drink in the waiter's face.

They managed to sit and sun for a few minutes before Quinn spotted Kurt and Finn making their way into the pool area. "Aunt Sue's in the bathroom. Let me go get them and bring them here before she comes back." Quickly she walked over and grabbed them, leading the boys towards their little section. They'd almost made it when Aunt Sue stepped out of the bathroom and right in their path.

"Q! I thought I heard the sound of stretch marks rubbing together. What are you doing here?" Sue exclaimed, feigning interest.

"Hello, Aunt Sue. How are you?" Quinn asked politely.

"I'm just here to brown up a bit. Get back into fighting shape." She punched Quinn in the arm, who winced. "Some Glee Club loser got me suspended, so I have to plan my attack. Going for that seventh national championship soon, you know." She peered at Finn and Kurt just behind Quinn. "What's with Herman and Eddie Munster? You cheating on Neil already?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "First of all, my husband's name is Noah, _not _Neil. Second of all, these are my friends, Finn and Kurt." She gestured to each in turn, who immediately greeted Sue, holding out their hands. Sue simply stared at their hands, before looking back at Quinn.

"Gotta be honest, Q. I already checked out of this conversation." She strode off, grabbing a passing waiter by the back of his shirt. "You! I ordered my protein shake fifteen minutes ago and I still don't have it! This is unacceptable!" Maintaining her grip on the frightened waiter's shirt, she tossed him into the pool.

Horrified that she was behaving like this in front of Finn and Kurt, Quinn quickly began an explanation. "That's my mother's oldest sister. The only one who can control her is my Aunt Jean, but she doesn't travel. I'm _so_ sorry. I had no idea she'd be here."

"It's okay, every family has an embarrassing relative. You should see Kurt's Aunt Muriel," Finn offered helpfully.

"Hey! Like she's any worse than anyone in your family? What about your cousin Viola?" Kurt cried as they followed Quinn, carefully avoiding the wrath of Aunt Sue, who at the moment was on the verge of throwing another waiter in the pool, simply because he got in her way.

"Dude, Aunt Muriel's got blue hair and she's like 105, it's no contest," Finn replied, smiling down at Rachel as he placed his stuff on a chair next to her, relieved to see that she gave a tiny smile back. He was afraid of what her reaction would be after what had almost happened on the terrace. His bathing suit grew uncomfortably tight as his eyes roamed over her body and took in Rachel's bikini, this time pink with gold hearts all over it, with a metal heart situated between her breasts, connecting the fabric. A matching metal heart graced either hip. He was disappointed to see that this bathing suit was strapless, so she wouldn't need his help untying it.

A quick glance down at his bathing suit told him that he needed to get into the water _fast_ before the tent that he could see forming became obvious to everyone else. Rapidly, he shed his shoes and shirt, jumping into the water to hide his arousal. The water felt good, cooling his overheated body, and more importantly, his groin. He emerged from under the water just as a ball came his way, hitting him in the head before bouncing off into another area of the pool.

"What the hell?" he asked, rubbing his head where the ball had hit him.

"Aunt Sue!" Quinn gasped. "You could have hit him in the face!"

"And I assure you he would have deserved it. This is a family hotel, not one of those sex retreats. I didn't need to see _that,"_ Sue declared as she stalked back over to the bar.

"What are you talking about?" Quinn demanded.

"Quinn, it's fine. Let's just play some volleyball," Finn cut in, anxious to get the subject off of what Sue had obviously seen, much to his embarrassment. He didn't know what was worse, knowing Sue saw it; or that fact that Sue had been checking him out to notice it in the first place. To his relief, Quinn and Brittany immediately jumped into the water. "Kurt, you in?"

Kurt looked up from his _VogueItalia_ in surprise. "Why are you even asking? You know the answer."

"Right. The chlorine messes with your shampoo, so you're out. That leaves you, Rach." Finn looked at Rachel, who seemed surprised to be asked.

"Come on, Rachel!" Quinn called, splashing some water at her, which unfortunately landed on Kurt, who gasped and immediately got up to check his hair damage in the bathroom mirror. "Otherwise you have to sit with Aunt Sue."

Rachel cast a glance at Aunt Sue, who was downing a strange looking concoction over at the bar. The thought of staying with her for any period of time was less than appealing, so she quickly stood up. "I'm in."

She slipped into the water just as Quinn's cousins finished setting up the net across the pool. "I'm ready to play," she announced, swimming over to Brittany. Hopefully they could be teammates. Brittany was pretty athletic and liked to play sports, which meant Rachel wouldn't have to do much. Brittany however, had other ideas.

"Good. You can play with Finn then," Brittany decided.

"Wait, why?" Rachel asked, refusing to look at Finn.

"Because Finn's tall and Quinn's blonde, so it evens out," Brittany explained in a way that only made sense to her. Finn didn't see her logic, but he wasn't going to complain since Brittany's logic worked in his favor. She elaborated when she saw Rachel's confused face. "Quinn and I are both blonde and you two have dark hair, so the teams are obvious. Plus, that way each team will have one tall player and one short player."

"Fine. Let's just play." Rachel sighed, heading over to the far side of the net, with Finn following. "I should warn you, I'm really bad though. I don't really know how to play," she told him, trying to look anywhere but at his chest and the way the water glistened on it.

"It's ok, all you need to do is hit the ball over the net," Finn assured her. "Why don't you serve first?" He tossed the ball to Rachel, who looked at it doubtfully, probably wishing she was sitting with Kurt, who'd just returned from the bathroom and was now engrossed in the seventh _Harry Potter_ book.

"What do I need to do?" she asked, still staring at the ball as Finn took his place at the front of the net.

He turned around in surprise. "You really don't know how to play, do you?" When she nodded negatively, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's not funny, Finn," she pouted, placing her hand on her hip under the water.

"Rachel, it's easy to serve, just throw the ball up with your left hand and hit it as hard as you can towards the net with your right hand," he directed, turning back to face Brittany and Quinn.

"Go Rachel go Rachel go Rachel go!" Brittany called, cheering her on and splashing her hands against the water in rhythm with her cheers. Finn looked back at her for a moment to see her face set in a determined line before she threw the ball up in the air. Satisfied, he turned to face forward, watching Brittany still cheering on Rachel.

In hindsight, turning to face forward was a mistake, since Rachel's serve immediately hit him on the back of the head. He turned to face Rachel, ignoring the giggles coming from the other side of the net. "Try to hit it a little higher," he advised, brushing off Rachel's apologies. She finally nodded, her face set with that determined look again. Confident that she'd get the ball over this time, he faced Brittany and Quinn again.

This time, he got hit on the back.

"I'm so sorry! I told you I was bad at this!" Rachel apologized frantically. "I really don't know what I'm doing wrong!"

Finn didn't say anything, grabbing the ball as it floated nearby and walking over to Rachel. "It's ok. I'm going to show you what to do."

He stood just behind Rachel, making her incredibly aware of his closeness once she felt his chest pressed up against her back and she felt herself taking a sharp intake of breath. She turned her head slightly as he began to talk.

"Ok, here's what you need to do." He placed the ball in front of her, placing his other hand on her right shoulder. Slowly, he let his hand trail down her right arm, causing Rachel to take another sharp breath. Rachel felt a jolt of electricity surge through her body as his other hand came to wrap around her waist, feeling a warm glow spread throughout her body. He kept his hand there as he explained what was going to happen, grabbing her hand firmly by the wrist as he demonstrated the motion of hitting the ball. "The key to serving the ball is the throw and the follow through. You need to make sure that you throw it high enough."

He grabbed her left hand, immediately placing his right hand on her waist. Cupping her left hand with his own, he helped her throw the ball in the air several times, his right hand never leaving her waist. "Once the ball is high enough, thrust your hand quickly towards the ball and bang it over the net." Switching hands yet again, he slowly raised her right hand out of the water, holding it against his chest for a moment as his left hand threw the ball up in the air. He slid his right hand up to guide her hand as it thrust forward. The motion of their arms jabbing the air caused them to lean forward, and Rachel closed her eyes as she felt Finn's body press into hers with each thrust.

Both were so focused on their private lesson that they forgot about Brittany, Quinn and Kurt, who were all watching the two of them closely. The incredible chemistry between them was blatantly obvious, and the three stayed quiet, unwilling to interrupt the scene unfolding in front of them.

Finn walked Rachel through the motions several more times, each time increasing the height of the throw. Rachel found herself paying more attention to the feel of Finn than on the ball, which was why she was surprised when she heard Finn say, "Ok, I think you're ready to try it alone."

"Wait what?" Rachel exclaimed. She'd been trying to pinpoint exactly what his cologne was. Feeling the loss of his hand around her waist acutely, she quickly added, "I uh, I think I might need a couple of more practices."

Finn smiled, more than happy to keep his hand around her waist. "Alright, a couple of more times." He wrapped his hand tighter around her waist, feeling the skin on his fingers burn when they touched Rachel's stomach.

They went through the motions a few more times, each more focused on the other than on the ball. "Okay, enough stalling. You're ready to try it." He emphasized this with a shake of her shoulders as he forced himself to move towards the net again.

He felt a surge of pride when he saw the ball sail easily over the net and threw a smile over his shoulder at Rachel, who had a huge smile on her face. His gaze lingered on her a little longer than it should have, because he failed to see Quinn hit the ball easily over the net in his direction, hitting him on the side of the face.

Rubbing his face yet again, he glanced at Rachel's laughing face, suddenly feeling that all the hits he'd taken today were totally worth it.

* * *

><p>Brittany watched Rachel closely during the volleyball game. She knew Rachel was no athlete, but she was nothing if not a quick learner. Brittany couldn't help but smirk a little each time Rachel (who seemed to have forgotten that she hated Finn) asked Finn to teach her how to hit the ball over the net, claiming she didn't know what she was doing wrong. Every time, the same thing would happen. As soon as Finn touched Rachel, her eyes would close and she'd get a little smile on her face.<p>

Finn wasn't exactly hiding his feelings either. The joy he felt each time he picked up Rachel by the waist to let her spike the ball over the net was clearly written all over his face, and as the game went on, so did the blatant flirting and sexual overtures.

"My God, you could cut the sexual tension in here with a knife," Quinn whispered to Brittany. "Those two better get a room and fast."

"I _told_ you. You really think Sam is going to beat that chemistry?" Brittany whispered back watching as Finn celebrated their winning point by grabbing Rachel and picking her up out of the water bridal style, spinning her in the air before dumping her in the water. Rachel immediately surfaced and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck, laughing. Brittany smiled affectionately at the two. "He's her Sam."

Quinn shook her head. "It's unbelievable. A blind man could see their chemistry. Maybe she'll forget about Sam."

"No. She's too stubborn. She may have forgotten that she thinks she hates Finn at the moment, but once she separates from him, she'll remember and insist on finding Sam. I know her, she's got to meet Sam to realize how she feels about Finn," Brittany analyzed, watching as Finn whispered something in Rachel's ear, causing her to blush and smack his chest playfully. "Are there any good places to dance here?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"Well, there's this awesome club about 10 minutes from here that's built into the cliff. The glass dance floor is suspended over the sea. We could all go there tonight," Quinn suggested. "Then tomorrow, we could search for Sam."

"What's the name of the club?" Brittany asked casually, her eyes still trained on Finn and Rachel, who were now having a splash fight.

"Um, it's called the Africana," Quinn replied, smiling at the water fight going on on the other side of the net. If Rachel's shrieking was anything to go by, she was definitely enjoying herself. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, uh, I promised Artie I'd call him at uh, this time," Brittany answered, glancing down at her wrist for the time quickly before climbing out of the pool, grabbing her cell phone and walking away.

Quinn watched her go suspiciously, her eyes having observed the fact that Brittany wasn't wearing a watch.

"Where's Brits going?" Rachel called, placing her hand on Finn's chest to stop him from splashing her.

"She had to call Artie," Quinn called back, still suspicious about Brittany's actions, but smiling when she saw Rachel take Finn's hand and pull him over to her side of the net.

"Oh, well can we still play with only three people?" Rachel asked, looking up at Finn.

"You and Quinn can play against me," Finn suggested reluctantly.

"But _you're _my partner!" Rachel cried, just in time for Brittany to hear as she slipped back in the pool. "Oh, good. Brittany's back."

"That was quick. He wasn't there?" Quinn baited her, testing out her suspicions.

"Who wasn't where?" Brittany asked, her eyes noticing how close Rachel and Finn were standing to each other.

"Artie. Didn't you just call him?" Quinn pressed.

"Oh! Right! Uh, I left a message. Did Q tell you guys our plan?" she asked Rachel and Finn excitedly, anxious to change the subject. "We're going to a dance club tonight!" she squealed excitedly before they could answer.

"Really?" Rachel shrieked. "Finn, isn't that exciting?"

"Yeah, Rach, it's great." Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "Just great."

_Crap_. Rachel was going to get to see what a crappy dancer he was. Kurt liked to joke that a rhinoceros could move better than him, and he really didn't want Rachel to see anything negative about him, especially if she was here to find another guy. He glanced down at Rachel talking excitedly with Brittany and Quinn about the club and what they should wear.

He didn't know why, but he had a really bad feeling about tonight and it had nothing to do with his dancing.

* * *

><p>"So, Rachel spill before Kurt comes back. What's going on between you and Finn?" Quinn asked as she applied her makeup in the mirror. She looked through her reflection at Rachel, who getting her hair set by Brittany while reading a magazine.<p>

"There's _nothing_ between me and him. I hate him, remember?" Rachel said, doing a poor job of convincing anyone in the room of this.

"You still sticking with that?" Quinn smirked into the mirror as she applied her eyeliner.

"Rachel, it's ok to admit that you're attracted to Finn," Brittany added, checking her phone discreetly.

Rachel jumped up, crossing her arms in defiance. "Look you two; I am _not_ attracted to Finn anymore. Yes, he is gorgeous and sexy and a fabulous kisser, but he's also manipulative and a liar. He _used_ me. Just because I sometimes go weak at the knees when he touches me, doesn't mean that I am attracted to him."

"You keep telling yourself that, honey," Quinn replied, turning on the stool to face Rachel and Brittany, just as Kurt walked into the room.

"Who's telling themselves what?" he asked, unloading his arms of the moisturizing bottles he'd retrieved from his room.

"Rachel," Quinn replied, facing back into the mirror. "She won't admit she's attracted to your brother."

"Are we still talking about that? Isn't it common knowledge that they're attracted to each other?" Kurt asked as he started going through the dresses they'd bought for Rachel. "Here. Wear this." He passed the slinky black sleeveless cowl neck dress over to Rachel.

"For the last time! I am _not_ attracted to him. I merely tolerate his presence," she insisted, yanking the dress out of Kurt's hand and storming over to the bathroom to change.

"Based on what I saw at the pool, Rachel defines tolerate as _wants to rip his clothes off_, doesn't she?" Kurt whispered. "They'll be a match made in heaven; she's just as stubborn as he is."

"You have no idea, Kurt." Brittany rolled her eyes, just as the bathroom door flew open again and Rachel stormed out, looking stunning in the dress Kurt had picked out.

"I would just like to point out that if my suitcase had been packed correctly, I would never, under any circumstances, be seen wearing a dress like _this_." She whirled around, letting them take in the revealing cowl neck halter top showing a fair amount of cleavage and the straps from the halter top hanging down her exposed back. "I feel indecent."

"Indecent or not, I know someone who's going to be speechless when he sees you," Kurt teased, handing her the shoes he'd picked out.

"You better mean _Sam_," Rachel hissed, snatching the shoes out of his hand and putting them on. "I couldn't care less about anyone else's reaction. Are we ready to go?" she asked crossly before storming out of the room.

"Is she always like this?" Kurt asked.

"Only when she's in denial about something," Brittany responded, checking her phone again.

"Well, she's going to make our night interesting at any rate. Let's go ladies," Kurt proclaimed, holding out an arm for Quinn and an arm for Brittany. "Shall we go round up _Ross_ and _Rachel_ and pray that they end this will they/won't they drama?"

Giggling, they headed out into the night, ready to see how the night unfolded.

* * *

><p>Kurt was right. Finn had been unable to speak when he saw Rachel's sexpot attire. His attempt to be suave failed miserably when he tried to lean one arm casually against the wall and missed completely, falling into a potted tree.<p>

It hadn't gotten much better when they'd arrived at the club. Brittany had immediately dragged Rachel onto the dance floor. The sight of Rachel dancing in that dress combined with the fact that she kept looking over at him was enough to make him summon the mailman several times. Several different guys had danced with her, putting their hands all over her and it was all he could do to stop himself from marching out there and punching those Italian tools in the face. Fortunately, she hadn't seemed into it at all, and the guys usually left after a few minutes. Even Quinn's cousin Luca tried dancing with Rachel, but Quinn herself put a stop to that, pulling him towards her. Forcing himself to calm down yet again, he looked at the décor of the club, trying to get his mind off of Rachel.

Like Quinn had said, the club was literally built into two caves. The dance floor Rachel, Quinn, and Brittany were currently dancing on had random plates of glass cut sporadically into the cave bottom, illuminating the stalagmites and stalactites in the cave. A large bar was carved into the rock at one end, and there were lots of little secret cutaways in the cave that Finn wouldn't mind showing Rachel. Outside, another dance floor, this one large and glass, was suspended over the sea, the waves crashing far below.

Feeling calmer, he looked back towards the dance floor, only to see Rachel dancing his way. "Come on, Finn!" she called over the music.

Uh oh.

He glanced around, wondering where Kurt had got to. Kurt loved to dance, and he could easily go in Finn's place. The last time he'd seen Kurt, he'd stopped to talk to Brittany on his way to the bar.

Naturally, he was nowhere to be found.

"Come on, Finn! Come dance!" She danced over to him, attempting to pull him up by his hand.

"I'm a really bad dancer, Rachel. I don't usually dance," he explained, as she put her drink of the table near him.

"Nonsense. If you can teach me to play volleyball, I can teach you to dance," she insisted, taking his beer out of his hand and placing it next to her drink. Grabbing both his hands, she pulled him up, trying to ignore the electric feeling pulsating through their hands. "It's all about moving your hips."

He held back a groan as she placed her hands on his hips, moving them from side to side. "See how easy? Now watch what I do," she instructed. She turned around, placing his hands on her waist before putting her own on his legs. Slowly, she moved her hips, grinding into him. He followed suit, more than happy with this turn of events. She looked over her shoulder at him, smiling coyly. "You're doing really well!" she yelled over the music. She turned around in his arms, placing her own arms on his shoulders, as she continued dancing and grinding into him, her eyes trained on his face. He stared down at her, wondering if he might get to test out one of those secret cave cutouts after all.

The song ended, to both his delight (no more dancing) and his regret (no more Rachel grinding into him). "I think I need a break, Rach." He sat back down on the rock bench, patting the seat next to him for Rachel to sit. She surprised him by sitting in his lap, handing him his beer as she placed her other arm around his neck. His own arms snaked around her middle, resting on her leg. Her position on his lap afforded him a nice view of her exposed cleavage.

"Do you have any Smurfs?" she asked hopefully, taking a sip of her drink, her eyes looking at him over the rim of the glass. She lowered the glass, licking her lips as she waited for his answer.

He laughed, wondering if she was slightly drunk. "Nope, I'm all out. Falling out of a rowboat kind of finished them off."

"Oh, that's too bad." She looked disappointed for a second, before a laugh escaped from her mouth, sounding like music to Finn's ears. "I wish you could have seen your face when you fell out!"

He chuckled, tickling her stomach, making her squeal. "You weren't much better when you fell in."

"I didn't fall in. I was pulled in," she huffed, jabbing him in the chest with her finger. "By you."

"Admit it. You had fun that day," he teased, rubbing her leg.

"I did," she admitted freely, looking at him with wide eyes. "You really don't have any Smurfs?"

"I'm Smurfless, I swear. I don't even have anymore Goldfish, since Kurt ate them all," he added bitterly.

"Goldfish? You mean the crackers?" Rachel asked, taking another sip of her drink.

"Yeah, I like them. Plus, the fish on the bag, the one with the sunglasses, is named Finn, so that just makes them even more awesome," he explained, feeling a little embarrassed about his preference for kindergarten snacks.

Rachel laughed again, but didn't get to answer, because Quinn and Brittany came over to them. "Come on! Don't you want to dance?" Brittany asked them.

Finn, disappointment running through his veins, looked at Rachel. "Go ahead. I'll stay here."

Rachel looked at him before turning to Brittany. "You two go ahead. I'm going to stay here with Finn."

Finn's heart soared as he watched Quinn and Brittany dance off, whispering about something. "Are you sure? I'll be fine right here."

"I'm not in the mood to dance anymore." As if to prove her point, she rested her head on his shoulder, her hand playing with the buttons on his shirt. "Just so you know, I've decided that I'm talking to you again, but I still hate you."

"I can live with that," Finn decided, hoping she was more bark than bite. "Especially since I hate you too."

"No you don't." Rachel shifted on his lap, placing her head closer to his neck, letting the scent of his cologne invade her nostrils.

"Oh, but I do."

Rachel picked her head up for a moment. "In that case, I hate you more." Satisfied that she'd won, she placed her head back on his shoulder, enjoying the feel of his hand stroking her leg softly.

"Then I hate you times infinity."

"Well, I still want you to be eaten by a lion," she shot back, moving her head even closer to his neck trying to get more of the intoxicating smell of his cologne.

"You blew it then. You had your chance when we were at the Coliseum." The smell of her shampoo was like a cloud around him, making him start to lose this little battle of wits they had going on. He turned his head towards her, just as she picked her head up. For the second time that day, he found himself focused on her lips, wanting to feel them on his own lips. Carefully, he cupped her chin with his large hand, inching his face closer towards hers, pleased to see that she'd closed her eyes in anticipation.

"Rachel!"

Kurt's voice snapped them out of their little trance, and they looked at each other for a moment before looking at Kurt running their way.

"Rachel!"

"What, Kurt?" she asked, not moving from her position on Finn's lap. Finn glared at his brother, annoyed that as usual, Kurt had horrible timing.

"I found him," he panted. "He's in the bathroom. I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Found who?" Finn asked; a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"_Sam Evans!_"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Kurt always has the worst timing doesn't he?**_

_**Happy early 4th of July to my American readers!**_


	12. Sam I Am, Take 2

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Remember we both have each other to thank for all the boyfriends we're not married to. <strong>_

_**- Beth Nielsen Chapman, "Emily"**_

* * *

><p>"You...you found him?" Rachel whispered, her grip on Finn's neck tightening considerably. She glanced at Finn, who looked as shocked as she felt. "How?"<p>

"Yeah, Kurt, _how_?" Finn asked, placing emphasis on the word how, the look on his face clearly meaning '_how could you do this to me?'_ He glared at Kurt, waiting for an explanation. Kurt, however, was too busy waving over Brittany and Quinn to notice.

Kurt shifted anxiously from foot to foot, waiting until Quinn and Brittany had joined them before he told his tale. "I found Sam!" he announced dramatically as soon as they were within earshot, waiting for the big reaction he was sure was coming.

He wasn't disappointed. Quinn began squealing and jumping up and down, while Brittany was more subdued, her eyes darting over to Rachel immediately, noting that Rachel had gone quiet on Finn's lap, the hand around his neck clutching his shirt collar tightly.

"How did you find him? Where is he?" Quinn asked, looking around as if he'd suddenly materialize next to them.

Kurt waited a moment as he ran a hand along the ridge of his hair, making sure he had the full attention of the group. "I was in the bathroom. _Someone_," he cast an annoyed glance at Brittany, "spilt a drink on me, so I was at the sink trying to wash it out of my shirt. This is new Marc Jacobs and one just can't be too careful. Fortunately, I carry my stain guide with me at all times and I-"

"Kurt! Get on with it!" Quinn hissed, snapping her fingers in his direction to get him back on track.

"Right. So anyway, I was at the sink and this guy comes up next to me to wash his hands. He comments on how nice my shirt is and asks if he can interview me for his blog. I was suspicious about what kind of blog it was, because honestly, he was dressed in a John Travolta -_Saturday Night Fever _type- leisure suit, so it could be a-"

"Kurt!"

"Fine. He showed me his blog on his phone, so I agreed and introduced myself. And then he said, "I'm Sam. Sam Evans." He paused, pleased at the gasps and shocked looks his story had garnered. "I told him that there was someone he had to meet and he agreed to meet Rachel. He'll be here in a minute."

Rachel paled, sliding off Finn's lap. "He's coming here?" She ran a hand through her hair and straightened her dress. "How do I look?" she asked nervously.

Finn yanked Kurt down next to him. "Dude, what the hell?"

Kurt didn't answer; he just patted Finn's hand reassuringly as his eyes roamed over the patrons of the club. "Oh! Here he comes now!" Four pairs of eyes followed Kurt's immediately.

"Where?" Rachel asked, shifting from foot to foot, her eyes scanning the room. "I don't see anyone."

"Sam! Over here!" Kurt called, waving Sam over. Once it became clear who Sam was, four pairs of eyes immediately turned towards Rachel, whose face was a mixture of confusion and something else. She promptly sat back down on Finn's lap, her hand once again gripping his shirt tightly.

Finn smirked, understanding why Kurt had simply patted his hand once he saw Sam. Sam Evans, the man of Rachel's dreams, was a short man with a large nose and thick glasses. He was also rocking, for lack of a better word, a _Jewfro_. Kurt hadn't lied when he'd described Sam's clothes. Sam really was wearing a white leisure suit complete with matching vest, over a bright pink shirt. A microphone was attached to his hand as he made his way over to Kurt.

"Kurt! We didn't get to finish our interview…why _hello…_what's your name?" he asked, holding the microphone out to Rachel, who wasn't bothering to hide the repulsion on her face.

"That's Rachel. She's been dying to meet you!" Brittany chirped. "Rachel, why don't you leave Finn alone - he can't meet any girls with you on his lap - and go dance with Sam?"

"I've got moves you've never seen," Sam added, running a hand over his Jewfro. "Let's hit the dance floor and I'll rock your world."

"Oh, no, I couldn't leave Finn," Rachel replied, looking at Finn pleadingly.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with Finn," Kurt cut in. "You go get your world rocked on the dance floor."

Rachel looked at Finn again, her eyes begging him to save her.

"Rachel, Sam has asked you to dance. Go!" Quinn instructed, pulling Rachel off Finn's lap.

"But…" Rachel protested; recoiling towards Finn as Sam reached for her hand.

"Go Rachel. It's _Sam_. That's all I've been hearing about for the past two days. You've been waiting for a man with _that name_ forever," Finn said quietly. He gently pushed her towards Sam, albeit very reluctantly. He could see Sam's beady eyes blatantly ogling Rachel and was sorely tempted to punch him in the face.

Rachel's face set into a determined line and her eyes blazed at Finn's words. "Fine. I would be delighted to dance with you, Sam."

Sam's eyes lit up as he realized that Rachel was going to dance with him. He shoved his microphone into Kurt's hands and grabbed Rachel's small hand with one of his sweaty ones. She cast a helpless glance over her shoulder at the group as Sam led her onto the dance floor. He immediately began grinding against her, his hands pounding the air.

Everyone was so focused on the pair on the dance floor that nobody noticed the satisfied smirk Brittany was sporting.

* * *

><p>Rachel stared at Sam gyrating in front of her, his jacket flapping open and arms raised; revealing large pit stains on his bright pink shirt. He grinned lasciviously, not bothering to hide the fact that his eyes were checking out her cleavage.<p>

This _couldn't_ be Sam.

She'd spent years fantasizing about Sam, and she could still remember that dream she'd had on the plane. Yes, Sam had the brown eyes she'd imagined, but they were the wrong shade of brown, and in all the different ways she'd ever pictured his hair, it was _never_ in a Jewfro. No, her favorite way to picture Sam had been with mahogany colored hair that was always slightly messy.

And tall. She'd always pictured Sam kind of tall, that way she could sit in his lap or fit perfectly in his arms. She doubted that she'd fit perfectly into the arms of the Sam Evans in front of her, since he wasn't that much bigger than her, and she definitely didn't plan on finding out how comfortable his lap was.

For the thousandth time, she glanced over at her friends, wishing she was there with them. Quinn, Kurt and Finn were all laughing at the crazy dance routine Brittany was doing. She smiled as she watched Finn, knowing from the way his mouth was set that he was having a good time. His eyes flickered up to look in her direction and he sent a smile over to her.

She smiled back and turned her attention to the mess in front of her. She eyed Sam warily, watching as one hand pushed up his glasses while the other tried to reach behind her and cup her rear end _again_. She quickly sidestepped his advances, reaching out to touch his arm using as little contact as she could. "I'm thirsty. Do you think you could get me a drink?"

"Anything for you, my pet." Sam scurried off, without even asking what she wanted. Rachel didn't waste a moment, hurrying back to her friends. To her annoyance, a stranger was now with them, some leggy platinum blonde who was talking to Finn.

"Who is _that_?" Rachel hissed to Brittany, quickly pulling her to the side, her eyes never leaving the blonde, who was now laughing loudly (too loud to be genuine in Rachel's opinion) at something Finn said, tossing her perfect hair over her shoulder.

"That's Giulia," Brittany responded, watching Rachel closely. "Luca just introduced her to Finn."

Rachel's eyes narrowed as she saw Giulia place her hand on Finn's arm flirtatiously. "Could she be more obvious?"

"What do you care? You have Sam, remember?" Brittany asked innocently.

"I _don't_ care. I'm just saying that she's trying too hard," Rachel insisted stubbornly, watching as Giulia pulled Finn down to say something in his ear.

"I think they look nice together," Brittany pressed, delighted at how Rachel was acting.

"She's not his type! Look at her! That hair is so dyed it's not even funny, and she looks like she's had work done. And don't get me started on her slutty clothes."

"I don't know. I think that dress is nice. Finn seems to like it," Brittany observed, stirring Rachel up, although she secretly agreed with her. Giulia had practically attached herself to Finn and Finn couldn't seem to care less, although she wasn't about to tell Rachel that.

"No he doesn't," Rachel declared. "He keeps rubbing the back of his neck. That means he's nervous or uncomfortable."

"You've spent a lot of time studying him, huh?" Brittany commented, raising an eyebrow.

Rachel ignored this remark, watching in disbelief as Giulia dragged Finn onto the dance floor. He cast a helpless look back at Brittany, his eyes lighting up when he realized that Rachel was with her. He attempted to walk towards them, but Giulia began using Finn as if he was a stripper pole, hanging off of him as she danced seductively. "She's wasting her time. Finn doesn't dance."

"Yes he does. I saw him dancing with you before," Brittany insisted. "You both looked like you were enjoying it."

Rachel smiled for a second reliving the way her body felt on fire when she was dancing with Finn. She quickly got rid of the smile, replacing it with a look of indignation. "I was simply teaching him to dance."

"Right," Brittany responded slyly. "Where are you going?"

Rachel ignored Brittany's calling as she marched onto the dance floor and tapped Finn on the shoulder. "Excuse me; may I have a word with you?"

"Uh sure." Finn extracted himself from Giulia, placing his hand on the small of Rachel's back as he led her to a secluded spot. "What's up?"

"What's up is that you're dancing with a girl who looks like a stripper," Rachel commented, hoping she sounded concerned and not jealous.

Not that she was jealous. She just wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing.

"And that's your concern because…?" Finn asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm merely concerned for your reputation," Rachel replied. "I don't think your mother would like it if she found out you were with a stripper."

"First of all, she's not a stripper; she's just dressed like one. Second of all, I appreciate the concern for my reputation, but I don't need to clear my dance partners with _you_. You've made it clear that you hate me. It's not like we're dating."

"But you don't dance," Rachel insisted.

"Again, not your problem. Shouldn't you be getting back to _Sam_?" he spat out. "He _is_ your soul mate."

"Sam is lovely, _he'd_ never lie to me," Rachel spat back, crossing her arms.

"Well it's a good thing Kurt found him in the bathroom then," Finn retorted. "Here comes Mr. Fantastic now,"

She groaned as she spied Sam coming her way, drinks in hand. "Here Beautiful, I ordered you a Cosmo."

"I'll leave you two alone then. Hey Sam, Rachel really likes it when you pinch her ass," he called over his shoulder as he walked back to Giulia, to the horror of Rachel. Sam's eyes lit up at this insight into Rachel, and he quickly leaned over and tested out Finn's advice, getting a glare from Rachel.

Rachel, her eyes never leaving Finn and the stripper dancing around him, took the drink from Sam and downed it, despite the fact that she hated Cosmos. The alcohol made her sputter for a moment but she recovered and grabbed Sam by the arm. "Let's dance."

Sam didn't need to be told twice. He immediately began gyrating around Rachel, who happened to position herself on the dance floor so that Finn, who was holding Giulia by the waist as she ground into him, was still in her view. He noticed her immediately, watching as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and moved in time to the music, her eyes staring at him staring at her.

Giulia chose that moment to wrap her arms around his neck, picking one long leg up to hook it around his waist. "I'm sexy, yes?" She pressed her body up against his as she waited for an answer.

"Mmm. Very sexy," Finn replied, his eyes never leaving Rachel. Alcohol fueling her actions, Rachel was grinding against Sam, her hands on his legs as she stared back at Finn.

"Good. We go now," Giulia announced, lowering her leg from his waist.

"What?" Finn tore his gaze from Rachel to look down at Giulia, who had dropped her arms from his neck to squeeze his rear end.

"Come, we go have the sex now." Giulia took his hands, ready to guide off him the dance floor.

Finn glanced back at Rachel, who was now running her hands up her body before tangling them in her hair. No way in hell was he leaving this dance floor if Rachel was still on it, even it was for an opportunity to have "_the sex_." He rubbed his neck trying to think of a way to explain it to Giulia without mentioning Rachel. "Uh, why don't we stay here for a while? We just met, and I don't think I'm ready to have 'the sex' yet."

"_Va bene_. We kiss instead." She pulled his face down to hers, kissing him hard on the lips and jamming her tongue in his mouth, surprising him and making him struggle against the hold she had him in. As he struggled, his eyes found Rachel's who'd stopped dancing for a second to stare at him before immediately beginning her dance of seduction again.

He pulled away from her quickly, disgusted by the kiss. Giulia's lips were rough, a far cry from Rachel's soft ones. Giulia seemed happy with it, because she took a step back and stared at him.

"I go bathroom now. When I return, we go have the sex, _va bene_?" she announced taking his hand and leading him off the dance floor, depositing him next to an inebriated Kurt on the bench.

"Finn! My horribly dressed brother!" Kurt yelled in greeting, waving his drink in the air and spilling most of it all over his designer clothing. He turned to the woman sitting next to him, poking her to get her attention.

"Finn likes to wear _plaid_," he announced impressively, attempting to tap his chin in contemplation, but missing by a mile. He eyed the woman critically. "Lady, I don't know if anyone's told you, but that cheap Donna Karan knockoff you're wearing is only making your thighs look even bigger."

Finn paled as the woman narrowed her eyes at Kurt. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have understood just what Kurt had said, glaring at him as she shifted down the bench away from him. Finn turned his attention back to Kurt, knowing from past experience that he needed to get Kurt out of here and _fast. _Some people got angry or happy or needy when they got drunk, but not Kurt.

Kurt got _critical_.

And only about one thing: fashion. While it could be argued that he was always critical when it came to fashion, Sober Kurt knew the power of a well placed once over or eye flicker between fashion victim and fashion faux pas.

Not so Drunk Kurt.

No, Drunk Kurt had no filters, running around wherever he happened to be, insulting people as he attempted to rid the world of crimes against fashion.

Undaunted by the woman's rejection, Kurt presently turned his attention back to Finn. "Are you aware that that deep of a shade of green makes you have an even stronger resemblance to the Jolly Green Giant than usual? Where's your can of corn?" he demanded, looking at Finn's hands expectantly. "Why do you have four hands, Finn?"

"Alright dude, time to go home. Can you walk?" Finn asked as he helped Kurt stand shakily, whose eyes showed two Finns in front of him.

Kurt whirled around quickly, causing him to fall back on the bench. Impervious to his fall, he sat up and turned to glare at the woman he'd insulted. "Hey! Donna Karan Knockoff! Did you steal my plaid brother's can of corn?" he yelled in her direction. Before she could come over and slap him, Finn hastily called out an apology in her direction as he attempted to help Kurt stand.

"Uh oh. Here comes that fake blonde you were dancing with," Kurt announced, swaying on his feet. He peered at her. "I didn't know she was a twin. What a shame they both have horrible hair dye jobs."

"Finn! What eez this?" Giulia demanded, glancing from Kurt to Finn. "We go now, _sì_?"

"Hey Platinum Barbies! He's not going with either of you," Kurt answered for Finn, who didn't bother to stop Kurt, wanting to see what else he said to Giulia. "Newsflash! When you bleach your hair, you're only supposed to leave the bleach in for an hour. Your hair is so white, you look like a Smurf. Carole won't like you. That goes for you too, Donna Karan Knockoff!" Kurt called in the poor girl's direction. "Carole doesn't like knockoffs!"

Giulia narrowed her eyes. "_Mi scusi?_"

Finn stepped in before things could get any worse. He'd once seen a woman start hitting Kurt with her purse after Drunk Kurt had commented that her purple dress gave her both the shape and color of Barney the Dinosaur and he _really _didn't want to see the inside of an Italian jail as part of his grand tour of Italy. "Ignore him. He gets very critical when he's drunk," he assured Giulia. "I'm gonna bring him to the hotel now."

He started leading Kurt away, who immediately shrugged him off, insisting that if Donna Karan Knockoff could walk in her also knockoff Gucci shoes, he could too, since his Gucci loafers were _real_. Finn released him, following very closely behind, ready to catch Kurt when he fell.

"I help," Giulia insisted, slipping her arm around Finn's waist, letting her hand slide into his back pocket. "Then we have the sex."

Finn ignored her, more intent making sure Kurt didn't fall than on getting rid of Giulia.

"Why don't you stay and enjoy yourself?" Finn finally asked, anxious to get rid of her. "I can handle him."

"Yeah, Smurf, get lost. I'm going home with him, not you," Kurt slurred, turning and pulling her arm off of Finn's. "Rachel's the only-" he paused, whatever he was about to say about Rachel dying on his lips as he placed a hand over his mouth.

"Kurt?" Finn asked nervously.

Kurt recovered, continuing his train of thought. "As I was saying, Rachel's the only one who can put her arms around-" That was as far as he got before he threw up violently all over Giulia, to Finn's secret satisfaction.

He looked at Giulia, covered from head to toe in whatever Kurt had eaten that day and tried not to laugh at the horrified expression on her face. "I'm so sorry!" he managed to get out. "I'll help you to the bathroom. Kurt, _stay here," _he directed, leading Kurt over to a nearby chair.

Finn placed his hand on Giulia's back; one of the few spots Kurt had missed, guiding her quickly to the bathroom.

"I clean off and then we have the sex," she insisted one hand on the door of the bathroom. Neither of them noticed Luca standing nearby, absorbing every word.

"You better get in there and clean off then," Finn placated, anxious to get rid of her and get back to Kurt before he could cause any more damage.

Looking as if Christmas had come early, Luca turned and ran the other way.

* * *

><p>Luca darted through the crowded club, his eyes scanning the room.<p>

_Where was she?_

He finally spotted Rachel standing off to the side, thankfully all alone. He forced himself to slow down, carefully fixing his hair as he walked over to her. "Hey Rachel," he said in what he hoped was a casual tone.

"Oh, Luca, hi," she replied, her own eyes now scanning the room, looking for something and frowning when she didn't find it.

"Are you looking for Sam?" Luca asked.

"He's using the toilet." Her eyes continued darting around the room. "I hope he falls in," she muttered under her breath. She stopped scanning the room for a second to look at him. "Actually, I'm looking for Fi- friends. I'm looking for my friends," she corrected, hoping he didn't realize that by friends, she meant Finn. She'd lost him after the stripper dragged him off the dance floor. She'd watched as they'd spoken to Kurt for a minute, but a crowd of people had come between them and when she was able to see the area where they'd been standing, they were gone.

"I saw Quinn and Brittany on the outdoor dance floor," Luca offered.

"Oh. What about Kurt? Have you seen him?" Rachel asked casually, hoping that would lead him to reveal where Finn was.

Luca thought for a moment. Here was his chance. He'd seen Rachel and Finn in the pool yesterday and hadn't liked it one bit. "I saw him sitting on a bench." He shrugged. "He's probably bored since Finn left with Giulia."

"What? Finn left with _her_?" Rachel exclaimed.

Luca nodded. "I saw them walking towards the door." He didn't bother to add that it was a bathroom door. He peered at Rachel, who had a strange expression on her face. "Do you want to dance?"

"No. I need to find Kurt." Rachel hurried away calling over her shoulder, "When Sam comes back, tell him I'll be back."

Luca watched her go, frowning. That was _not _how he envisioned this going.

* * *

><p>Kurt slumped on the bench, an eye out for his next fashion victim. Fortunately for him, the greatest fashion victim he knew was hurrying his way. "Rachel Berry! Did you know that your constant wearing of the color pink makes you look like you're five years old? You're not Elle Woods, pink's not your signature color!" Kurt reprimanded her as a way of greeting.<p>

"Kurt, how much have you had to drink?" She could see that he was clearly inebriated, his Marc Jacobs shirt that he'd taken such care of before, was now covered in alcohol and the odor of liquor permeated the air around him.

"I had six Long Island Iced Teas," Kurt announced impressively while holding up only two fingers. "Which Rachel is the real you?" he asked, looking from Rachel to an area next to her head.

"Kurt! Look at me!" Rachel demanded, grabbing his shoulders firmly. "Where's Finn?"

"Finn wears a lot of plaid, you know," Kurt slurred, his eyes trying to focus on Rachel.

"Yes, I'm aware of his penchant for plaid, but where _is_ he?" Rachel asked impatiently.

"He went with Giulia," Kurt responded, pointing vaguely in a direction.

"So it's true? He really went with her?" Rachel asked in disbelief.

"She wants to have sex with Finn, but I told her only you can touch him and then I puked on her for you," Kurt announced proudly.

In spite of herself, Rachel laughed, imagining Giulia covered in vomit. "Thank you Kurt. Maybe I should take you home," Rachel said worriedly.

"Someone already is, I just can't remember who," Kurt assured her. "Besides, you have Sam."

"Don't remind me," Rachel muttered.

"Brittany said that would happen," Kurt said knowledgably. "She said that you'd need to see Sam before you realize- _Hey_! You're not supposed to wear Parachute Pants after 1985!" he yelled at a passing patron.

"Kurt! Focus! What were you saying about Brittany?" Rachel demanded, her mind still reeling from the fact that Finn had left with that platinum blonde stripper.

Kurt leaned forward conspiratorially, getting ready to divulge a big secret, motioning to Rachel to come closer. Rachel obliged, ready to hear what Brittany had said about her.

"Brittany's tall," he whispered, expecting to wow Rachel with that earth shattering announcement.

Rachel groaned. Drunk Kurt was not easy to get answers out of. Before she could press Kurt further, she heard the one voice she really didn't want to hear.

"There you are!" Sam exclaimed, handing Rachel another Cosmo. Kurt immediately plucked the umbrella out of Rachel's drink, placing it behind his ear. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Come, let's dance." Grabbing her wrist, he pulled Rachel away.

Rachel followed, wondering just what Finn was doing at that moment.

* * *

><p>After several more assurances that they'd have the sex once she cleaned up, Giulia finally headed into the bathroom, just as Quinn came out.<p>

"What happened?" Quinn demanded. "Was she covered in vomit?"

Finn ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Kurt's drop dead drunk and he puked on her." He couldn't help but give a small smirk, picturing the scene in his head. "I'm gonna take him back to the hotel now."

"Are you sure?" I can take him if you want to stay with Giulia," Quinn offered, motherly concern kicking in for Kurt, but honestly curious to know how things were going with Giulia.

"No thanks. I've been trying to get rid of her. Giulia's in the bathroom cleaning herself off and then '_we have the sex,"_ Finn mocked, doing a fairly good impersonation of Giulia. "I've got to get out of here."

Yes, he wanted to get away from Giulia, but he also really wanted to get away from Sam. It was all he could do to stop himself from walking over to them and punch him in the face every time he touched Rachel.

Quinn burst out laughing. "She's not for you, huh? I wonder if Rachel's having better luck with Sam?"

"Please. I _know_ she's not attracted to him. She's just doing all this to annoy me," Finn declared. "Tell everyone that I'm taking Kurt to the hotel."

He turned and rushed back to Kurt, who was happily hurling insults at anyone who walked by, a yellow drink umbrella now gracing one ear. Quinn followed close behind Finn, concern for Kurt etched across her face.

"Let me help you," Quinn persuaded.

"It's alright, I've got it, Quinn." He easily picked up Kurt, draping him over one shoulder.

Kurt squawked as his drink umbrella fell off his ear. "Finn! That completes my outfit!"

Quinn rushed over to hand it to Kurt, who happily replaced it over one ear.

"Quinn!" Kurt exclaimed from his perch on Finn. "Will you please tell Finn that wearing plaid makes him look like a lumberjack? Why do you wear so much plaid?" he asked Finn's back accusingly as Finn carried him towards the exit.

Quinn watched them go, a smirk on her face as she thought of Finn's spot on assessment of Rachel.

* * *

><p>Rachel grimaced as Sam pinched her ass yet again. She was going to <em>kill <em>Finn next time she saw him. Immediately, thoughts of him and the stripper tangled in sheets popped into her head unbidden, replaced almost instantly by one of _herself_ and Finn in bed. She shook her head, trying to clear it, reminding herself that she hated Finn.

She may hate Finn, but that still didn't stop her from wanting to know what he was doing at that moment, wondering if he'd really taken that girl back to his hotel room.

"Sam?" She grabbed his arm before he could pinch her again.

"Yes?" He leaned closer to her, his rank breath filling her nostrils, making her lean away from him.

"Why don't we sit?"

Eagerly, Sam ran over to a bench, patting the spot next to him enticingly.

Rachel sat next to him, careful to leave a good distance between them.

"So Sam. Tell me what do you do?" Rachel asked.

"I run a blog," Sam announced, trying to put his arm around Rachel casually and failing miserably.

"I know that, but what else do you do? How do you make money?" She shifted, ducking his arm and maintaining the distance between them.

"Oh, I test video games." Sam said enthusiastically. "That's why I'm here."

"Really? My friend Brittany's husband works for a video game company!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Imagine that. Are you wearing a bra under that dress?" Sam asked, ogling her chest, his hands snaking dangerously close.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked, slapping his hands away. "You know what, I'm tired of dancing. I'd like to get out of here."

Specifically, she'd like to get out of here _alone_.

Sam's eyes lit up lecherously and Rachel could only imagine what he was thinking. "Why don't we explore the caves downstairs?" he suggested.

Rachel hesitated, remembering the legend Quinn had told. Another image of Finn ravishing the stripper's body with kisses flooded her mind and she looked at Sam. "Let's go."

Sam dragged her off the dance floor, running into Quinn almost immediately. "Where are you two going?"

"We're going to look at the caves on the lower level," Sam said breathlessly.

"Really?" Quinn asked. She pulled Rachel to the side. "Are you sure about this? What about Finn?"

"What _about_ Finn? I've told you many times that I am _not_ attracted to him. If he wants to go and have sex with a stripper, that's his prerogative. It has no impact on me at all."

"Sex with a stripper? What are you talking about?" Quinn asked, honestly confused. "He took-"

"Spare me the details. I really don't care what Finn is doing." She stepped back towards Sam, trying to convince herself of this. "Shall we go, Sam?"

"If the cave is a rocking, don't come a knocking," Sam told Quinn, grinning like a fool at the prospect. Quinn saw Rachel pale at the idea, but put on a brave face.

"Rachel-" Quinn began, trying to figure out what Rachel was talking about.

"See you later, Quinn," Rachel said firmly, taking Sam by the edge of his sleeve with two fingers and leading him towards the stairs.

Quinn watched them go, her mouth hanging open for a second, before running to find Brittany.

* * *

><p>Once they were downstairs, Rachel released his sleeve, which turned out to be a mistake. Sam kept trying to wrap his arm around her shoulders or waist, basically anywhere she'd let him, which was nowhere.<p>

She couldn't help but glance up at the moon through the cave window, Quinn's legend in her head. "Is that a full moon?" she asked.

Sam peered at it. "I think so. I feel the urge to kiss you coming on. I'm just gonna go for it." He pushed Rachel against the cave wall, as he closed his eyes.

Rachel stared in horror as Sam started to lean towards her. "No!...just no! Stay where you are!" she cried leaning back and pointing one finger at him. "I have a rape whistle!"

"Don't try and fight it. You know you want to kiss me," Sam commented, patting his hair confidently.

"I'm not kissing you. I just met you!" Rachel cried, thinking that that rule certainly hadn't applied with Finn.

"_Rachel? Are you here?"_

"I'm here!" Rachel called, never so glad to hear Quinn's voice. She ran to the stairs, only to find Quinn holding onto a very sick looking Brittany. "Brits! What's wrong?"

"I don't feel well," Brittany moaned. "We're leaving now. We didn't mean to interrupt your date, but we wanted to let you know."

"I'll come with you," Rachel said quickly.

"No, you stay and continue your date. This is _Sam_ after all," Brittany insisted. "Quinn will take me back."

"I'm coming," Rachel insisted firmly. "I'm sorry, Sam, but I've got to go. It was lovely to meet you."

"Don't you want to give Sam your information?" Brittany asked innocently.

Rachel glared at her. Apparently, Brittany wasn't sick enough to stop being a pain in the ass. "Of course. How could I forget?" She took the paper and pen Sam had immediately produced and scribbled down the address of her hotel, taking the piece of paper he'd written his information on. "Goodbye Sam."

Sam grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her as he sloppily kissed her and attempted to jam his tongue down her throat. "Something to let you dream about," he told her as she stared in horror, wiping her mouth.

Without another word, Rachel marched back up the stairs, Brittany and Quinn close behind.

* * *

><p>Rachel was silent for a minute or two as they walked back to their hotel, Brittany and Quinn chatting happily on either side of her. "You're feeling better," she finally said suspiciously.<p>

"You're welcome," Brittany chirped. "Sorry I couldn't stop him from kissing you though."

"Ugh," Rachel shuddered, remembering that kiss. "I can still feel his tongue trying to get in my mouth. It figures my soul mate would be a horrible kisser."

Quinn and Brittany exchanged glances. "Are you _sure_ he's your soul mate?" Brittany asked.

"Not this again! I've waited years for Sam and ok, maybe he's not exactly how I pictured him, but you've got to get the idea of me and Finn out of your mind! The fortune teller and cookie said Sam Evans _not_ Finn Hudson."

"I didn't say anything about Finn. I was just asking a question, but maybe you should think about the fact that your mind went right to Finn and the fact that you spent all night watching him. Don't even try to deny it. I saw you staring at him all night. Sometimes destiny changes, Rachel."

"Not to mention how upset you got when you saw him with that girl," Quinn added.

"I don't know how many times I can say it! I _do not_ have a thing for Finn. And even if I did, it doesn't matter anyway, since he's sleeping with that stripper!" Rachel cried dramatically, storming ahead into the hotel lobby.

"Rachel wait." Brittany said, grabbing her by the shoulder. "I have to tell you something."

"No. I don't want to hear anymore about Finn," Rachel declared, taking Brittany's hand off her shoulder. She waved the piece of paper Sam had given her in the air. "I'm going inside to call Sam."

"This isn't about Finn." Brittany's tone was serious, making Rachel stare at her.

"So what is it then?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Did you have _The Moment_? You didn't right?" Brittany blurted out.

Rachel's mouth dropped open. Brittany was right, all she'd felt when she'd seen him for the first time was repulsion. "You're right. I didn't."

"Do you really think he's your soul mate?" Brittany pressed.

"No," Rachel admitted. "But he's Sam, so he must be right?" She glanced down at the paper Sam had given her, staring at the heading. "What's this?"

She held the paper in the air, allowing Quinn and Brittany to clearly see the "_**From the desk of Arthur Abrams**" _printed on the top. "Why does he have Artie's paper?" she asked accusingly. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for Brittany's response.

"He's not Sam," Brittany confessed. "His name's Jacob Ben Israel. He works with Artie. I told him to show up at the club."

Rachel's first thought was _Thank God _followed shortly by one of anger. "So you just decided to fool me? Why?"

"I did it for you. I wanted you to see that just because someone has the name, doesn't mean he's your soul mate. I really think that Sam Evans is a means to an end. I don't think you're _supposed _to meet Sam because you've already met Sam. _Finn," _she explained in her own Brittany way.

"So Sam Evans is still out there?" Rachel said slowly.

"Rachel, listen to us. Forget Sam Evans. Don't throw away what's right in front of you," Quinn implored. "I agree with Brittany. Finn is Sam."

Rachel looked at them hard before speaking. "I appreciate the concern, but from now on, I'm going to find Sam on my own, and then I'll prove both of you wrong. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going down to the pool area to think."

She stormed off, ready to be alone with her thoughts. Thoughts that, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it, always included Finn.

* * *

><p>Rachel leaned against the railing, staring at the moon. Her instincts had been right earlier when she'd felt that this Sam (Jacob) was the wrong Sam. She <em>knew<em> something was wrong. She fumed, silently cursing Brittany for making her spend all night with Jacob, although she knew Brittany had what she thought were Rachel's best interests at heart. Rachel didn't understand why Brittany was so insistant on Finn being her soul mate, when both the cookie and the Gypsy clearly said _Sam_. She'd just have to find the real Sam and prove Brittany wrong. Even _Quinn_ had switched camps, jumping onto the Finn is Sam bandwagon.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Rachel jumped, turning quickly to find Finn lying on one of the lounge chairs. She'd been so lost in her thoughts; she hadn't even noticed him when she came out. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I was just lying here peacefully staring at the moon, when you stormed out and disrupted me," Finn replied, placing his arms behind his head smugly. "Where's Sam? I'd have thought you guys would be planning your wedding right about now."

"Brittany got sick, so I left him at the club. And for your information, we had a lovely time. Sam's _wonderful_," Rachel boasted as she leaned against the railing, exaggerating for Finn's benefit. She wasn't about to tell Finn that she'd been tricked by an imposter Sam_ again._

_"_I bet. That leisure suit must have had you fighting the women off with a stick."

"He has a unique sense of style," Rachel replied, unsure of why she felt the need to defend Jacob. It probably had something to do with wanting to wipe that look of smugness gracing Finn's face clean off.

"I'll say. That Jewfro was certainly unique," Finn added, the smug look still on his face.

"I thought it suited him," Rachel defended, crossing her arms.

"Oh, cut the crap, Rachel. We both know that you're not attracted to him. You could barely stand to touch him and I could practically _see_ the wheels spinning in your head thinking of ways to get rid of him," Finn stated, sitting up to stare at her.

"I'm sorry if he's not as attractive as your stripper, but that's not his fault," Rachel replied, thrown by how well he could read her. "Where is she anyway? Did you hump and dump?"

"What are you talking about?" Finn asked, lying back, watching as Rachel settled on the edge of the lounge chair next to him.

"Don't play stupid. I heard how you left the club with her, planning to sleep with her." She avoided his gaze, looking up at the moon.

Finn burst out laughing. "You heard wrong then. I left with Kurt on my shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Giulia wanted to sleep with me, but she's not exactly my type."

Rachel let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "But Kurt said he saw you leave with her!"

"Rachel, by the time I got him here, he was very loudly singing _I'm Henry the Eighth I am _off key and he could barely remember his own name. You're really going take his word on it? Ask Quinn, she saw me," Finn challenged. "You know, since I'm such a liar and all."

"Fine, I will." Rachel pulled out her phone, typing furiously.

**_Q.-_**

**_Who did Finn leave with tonight?_**

**_R._**

The answer came back quickly, confirming what Finn had said.

"I told you," he said smugly.

"Alright, so you were honest about one thing, how refreshing," Rachel said drily, settling back in the chair. "The full moon is huge tonight."

"That's not a full moon. That's a Waxing Gibbous," Finn replied, ignoring her remark. "The full moon won't be for a day or two."

Rachel stared at him, relieved. That must have been why she felt nothing but disgust when they kissed. That and the fact that he _wasn't_ Sam, she thought bitterly. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure. I eat lunch with the Earth Science teachers," Finn answered confidently. "Why, did you kiss Sam?" he added jokingly. Rachel's silence made him sit up. "You kissed?"

"He kissed me," Rachel confessed uncomfortably. "I was leaving and he grabbed me and kissed me."

Finn, relieved that she hadn't initiated it, sat back in his chair. "How was it?"

"It was…amazing," Rachel said quickly.

Too quickly, because Finn immediately knew she was lying. He sat up, interested. "That bad, huh?"

Rachel sat up across from him. "It was all wet and slobbery and he kept trying to jam his tongue in my mouth."

"That's awful. If it makes you feel better, Giulia wasn't much better, her lips were all rough." He leaned towards Rachel, watching as she licked her lips. "A kiss shouldn't be like that."

"It really shouldn't," Rachel agreed, her eyes focused on his face. "It should be soft."

"And definitely not slobbery," Finn added, still staring at her lips.

"The tongue shouldn't be forced down the throat either," Rachel threw in, inching closer to Finn.

"Absolutely not." The words came out as a whisper against Rachel's mouth while his hands came to rest around her waist.

She placed her hands on his shoulders as their lips met in a soft kiss. Their lips parted for a fraction of a second but reconnected before either could protest. Rachel's hands moved from his shoulders to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer, the electricity between them flowing through both their bodies. His tongue persuaded her lips to open, wanting to explore and taste every part of her mouth. Her mouth opened willingly, a small mewl escaping as she felt his tongue roaming over her mouth.

This was the complete opposite of Sam's kiss. Finn's kiss was gentle yet commanding, soft yet rough. The feeling of his tongue scraping along the roof of her mouth made her mind go blank and the only thing she could think of was that _this_ was how the girl in the legend must have felt when she kissed the boy. She wanted to stay like this forever, wanting more of Finn and becoming intoxicated on his taste.

Reality got in the way of forever when lack of oxygen forced them to part. They stared at each other, breathing rapidly, trying to fill their lungs and slow their heartbeats down. A few shallow breaths and their mouths fused in a hungry embrace. Their mouths still connected, Rachel joined Finn on his lounge chair by sitting in his lap, letting her fingers tangle in his hair as she pulled him closer, her lips sucking on his tongue.

_"Rachel! Are you out here?"_

Reluctantly, Rachel tore her lips from Finn's. Still breathing heavy, she stood up, hoping she didn't look like she'd just been passionately making out. She felt her lips, running a finger along the swelling. "What is it, Quinn?"

"Jesse's here."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Poor Kurt's gonna have quite the hangover...6 Long Island Iced Teas will put anyone on the floor! And yes, Jesse's back._**

**_Also, Thanks to Susie Salmon for creating an awesome movie poster for this story. I was so excited when I saw it, and wish I could attach it to the story somehow!_**


	13. Kurt's Helping Hangover

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Summer<strong>__**: I woke up one morning and I just knew. **_

_**Tom**__**: Knew what? **_

_**Summer**__**: What I was never sure of with you.**_

_**- (500) Days of Summer**_

* * *

><p><em>Jesse's here.<em>

The words reverberated through Rachel's head as she hurried towards her room. Quinn's announcement had snapped her back to reality and she'd left a confused Finn back at the pool with little more than an _"I've got to go"_ and a caress on his cheek. Quinn had followed, telling her that Aunt Antonia had checked him in earlier this evening, under the incorrect assumption that she and Jesse were back together.

An assumption she'd gotten from _Jesse_. He'd simply put his acting skills to use and convinced Aunt Antonia that they were back together and he was here to join Rachel for the rest of her trip. Fortunately, Antonia hadn't been totally blinded by his acting skills and had not only tipped Quinn off; she'd placed Jesse in his own room.

"Why is he here? I told him it was over. He's ruining everything," Rachel fumed as she stomped towards her room.

"What are you going to do?" Quinn asked sympathetically.

"Nothing right now. I need to process everything that's gone on tonight. I'll deal with him in the morning," she replied as she rummaged through her purse, looking for her key.

"Are you going to tell him about Finn?" Quinn leaned against the wall, waiting for Rachel's answer.

Rachel's head snapped up. "There's nothing to tell."

"So I suppose what I just saw out by the pool was nothing?"

"I don't know what you think you saw, but we were just talking," Rachel insisted, refusing to look at Quinn and focusing on her key hunt.

"_Rachel._ Why don't you just admit it? I couldn't even tell where your head ended and his began," Quinn pressed, wishing Rachel would stop being so stubborn for once.

"Fine. We kissed, but it was merely the effect of the alcohol I've consumed tonight. I assure you it meant nothing." She frowned as she continued rummaging, wanting to find her key and just collapse on her bed. She finally found her key and quickly opened her door and stepped into the dark room.

"Goodnight," she called as she shut the door before Quinn could say anything else about what she'd seen by the pool.

Truthfully, that kiss was on repeat in her head. She leaned back against the closed door, her eyes drifting shut, letting the memories of that kiss wash over her. She pressed a hand to her lips tracing the swelling that Finn had caused, missing the feeling of his lips on hers. Almost reluctantly, she removed her hand, feeling her way along the wall for the light switch. She stepped further into the room, her eyes adjusting to the light.

"_Hello, Rachy_."

* * *

><p>Finn trudged slowly back to his room, one hand holding the cheek Rachel had caressed.<p>

_Rachel._

The name alone was enough to set his head spinning. He'd never met a girl quite like her. She was stubborn as all hell, got under his skin and was incredibly competitive. Not to mention, she was a total Chatty Kathy, as his mom liked to say. She could talk the hind legs off a donkey and he was certain she knew more words than a dictionary.

And he loved it.

What he didn't love were the mixed signals. Anyone who knew him could attest that Finn was certainly no expert in women, but Finn was positive that even Casanova would have problems reading the mixed signals Rachel was sending his way. One minute she was telling him she hated him and refusing to speak to him, the next she was in his lap, furiously making out with him. Even when Quinn had interrupted them, she'd run off immediately, but still took the time to caress his cheek as she left. What did it mean? Was it a _We'll pick this up later_ caress or more of a _thanks for a good time but I'm not into anything serious_ caress?

He needed to talk to someone about this. Last time he'd checked on Kurt, he'd been sprawled on his stomach on his bed, sleeping the alcohol off, but maybe he was up now. Finn headed to his room, digging through his pockets to find the key he'd taken from Kurt earlier.

Kurt was still sprawled in the same position on the bed, dressed in his clothing from earlier. Finn smirked, knowing that he was going to be so pissed when he woke up tomorrow and saw the horrific state of his designer clothing, doubting that there was anything on his famous stain chart that would help that shirt. Finn crept over to the bed, poking Kurt in the shoulder. "Kurt? You still drunk?"

"No Dad, I swear that tiara collection isn't mine," Kurt mumbled.

"Dude, it's Finn. Wake up, I gotta talk to you," Finn replied, poking him harder.

Kurt cracked open one eye. "Go talk to Rachel. She dresses just as bad as you do." He closed his eye again, preparing to continue sleeping, blissfully unaware of the massive hangover heading his way.

"Are you insane? I can't talk to Rachel about _Rachel_!" Finn cried.

Kurt didn't answer, opening his eye again to look at Finn, who took it as a sign that he was sober enough to listen. He stood up, pacing the room, trying to gather his thoughts before he spoke. "So like, I was just down at the pool and Rachel shows up bullshitting about how _amazing_ and _wonderful_ Sam is, which I know she's just doing to annoy the shit out of me. I called her out on it and the next thing I know, she's in my lap and we're making out. It was awesome and I think it would have gone even further, but Quinn interrupted us, telling Rachel that Jesse's back. So then-"

"_You know I wish that I had Jesse's girl_," Kurt mumbled. Finn paused his ramblings, hoping that Kurt wasn't going to start singing _Jesse's Girl_ over and over again. _I'm Henry the Eighth I am _had been incredibly annoying and he wasn't ready for round two of Karaoke by Kurt. He stared out the window as he began his musings again.

"Right. Anyway, once Rachel heard that Jesse was back she jumped up saying she had to go and caressed my cheek. What does that mean? Does it mean that she's into me and the make out was simply her way of letting me know she wants to start a relationship? Or does it mean that maybe she did, but now that the fiancée is back she changed her mind? Or maybe it means that this is just a fling? What do you think?"

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, tugging on the ends as he turned towards the bed again, only to find Kurt sound asleep. "Some help you are," he muttered. He still needed someone's opinion about this whole situation, because if he internalized it anymore, he was going to explode.

Pacing commenced again as he considered his options. Obviously, he needed someone sober, someone who would stay awake and actually offer advice. Normally, his mom would be his go to person for advice, but he was still slightly peeved at her for calling the tour guide. Plus, he knew that she was back in the United States driving Burt crazy with her excitement over what Kurt had told her about Rachel, and at the moment, he preferred that she nag Burt and not him. Burt was out; since chances are his mom would be nearby and probably wrestle the phone away from Burt once she realized it was Finn on the phone. He could try Mercedes or Tina, but doubted that they'd have any advice.

Kurt shifted on the bed, still sleeping. "Not tonight, Blaine," he mumbled.

Finn stared at him, momentarily grossed out, until he realized that Kurt had given him the perfect person to call. He grabbed Kurt's phone, dialing quickly and tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for it to ring.

"Hey babe!" Blaine's cheerful voice came through the phone after only 2 rings.

"Uh…it's Finn. I have Kurt's phone," Finn explained, feeling the need to clear that up before Blaine said anything Finn didn't _ever _need to know about Kurt.

"Oh, hey! Where's Kurt? Is he ok?"

"He's fine. Drop dead drunk at the moment, but fine." Finn smirked, thinking how this time tomorrow; Kurt was most definitely _not _going to be fine.

"Uh oh. What did he do?" Blaine asked, knowing his partner all too well.

"He outed some poor woman for wearing knockoffs and then puked all over another woman after he criticized her hair dye." He chuckled, remembering Giulia covered in vomit. "He's sleeping the six Long Island Iced Teas off now."

Blaine laughed. "Ouch. So what's going on then? I heard you met someone? Carole's so excited; she can't stop talking about it."

Finn groaned. "Great. Just what I need."

"Why? What happened? All I heard last time I talked to Kurt was about shopping and the incredible chemistry you two had," Blaine asked.

Finn sighed. "What I'm about to tell you, you _cannot_ tell my mom. Is she in the room?"

"No, she's out grocery shopping. What is it?" Blaine asked, sensing that his dull recovery was about to get a lot more interesting.

"Good." Quickly he filled Blaine in on everything that had happened. "So now I don't know what the hell is going on. What does that caress _mean_? Is it a relationship starter, a thanks but no thanks or something else? What do you think?"

"She doesn't know that you know about the fiancé?"

"Nope. She doesn't know that Kurt knows either."

"Well if she doesn't know that you know, she might be intending to come back to you once she sorts it out because if she thinks you don't know, Jesse probably sounded like Jessica to you, you know?"

"I don't know," Finn said doubtfully.

"Look, I'm not an expert in women, but she might be just as confused as you are. It sounds to me like she wants to be with you, but is confused by the idea of Sam and the Fiancée. She's really been waiting for someone with that name since she was eight?"

"Yeah and he's _such_ a tool. He's got a Jewfro. Kurt was having a field day critiquing his leisure suit."

"That should be good for you then," Blaine surmised.

"You would think, right? But she's so stubborn that she's hanging out with him _just_ to annoy me," Finn replied, kicking one of Kurt's suitcases over in frustration.

"You really like this girl, don't you?" Blaine asked quietly, hearing a loud thud coming through the phone and knowing that something in the room most likely had a dent in it.

"When she's not driving me crazy, she's _amazing_. I told Kurt, when I first saw her, I couldn't stop staring at her. I remember thinking that this could be something, and I was right. She's gorgeous and I actually have to remind myself to not get lost in her eyes. She fits against me perfectly and when she hugs me, I feel like I'm home, you know? Every time we kiss, I feel it in my toes, man. Wait. Don't tell Kurt what I just said," Finn panicked, knowing Kurt would make fun of him non-stop _after_ telling his mother.

"So maybe you should tell her what you just told me," Blaine advised.

"Maybe," Finn said doubtfully. "But maybe I should wait and see what's going on with the fiancé first."

"Why? She already called off the wedding, didn't she? You think she's gonna get back with him?"

"Why else is he here?" Finn countered. "If I was him, I'd be trying to get her back."

"That doesn't mean she'll go back."

"True," Finn conceded, feeling slightly hopeful. He could see Kurt stirring on the bed and hoped he hadn't heard his beloved luggage getting kicked.

"Don't wait too long. Just tell her what you told me, and I'm sure you'll be bringing her home to meet Carole," Blaine predicted.

Over on the bed, Kurt suddenly sat up, his hand flying to his mouth. His unfocused eyes closed for a moment before he jumped off the bed, running into the bathroom.

Finn watched him go, sighing. "Sorry, Blaine, gotta go. Kurt's praying to the porcelain throne." He could hear Kurt loudly retching and really hoped he had made it to the toilet bowl. He hung up the phone before Blaine could say anything, rushing to help Kurt.

But not before the thought crossed his mind that his mom would like Rachel very, very much.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hello Rachy."<em>

Rachel's eyes widened at the unwelcomed sound. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. When I left for California, you were safe in our apartment and we were still engaged," Jesse responded, crossing one leg on top of the other.

"Brittany planned a Bachelorette Party," Rachel defended. "How did you even know I was here?"

"Well Rachel, after I got that unpleasant phone call from you, I immediately checked the GPS on my phone. Imagine my surprise when it revealed that you called from _Italy. _My fantastic memory recalled Quinn once mentioning this place, so I headed right over."

"How did you get in here?" Rachel asked as she crossed her arms, not moving from her spot by the door.

"You forget that I once played the role of Assistant Concierge Erik in _Grand Hotel_. I'm very familiar with the back of a Concierge desk," Jesse replied as he stood up and walked over to her.

Rachel watched silently as he placed a kiss on her forehead. He started to lean down to kiss her lips, but she ducked and darted under his shoulders into the room, not wanting him to realize that her lips were swollen from making out.

And _maybe_ she didn't want to lose the feeling of Finn's kiss on her lips.

"Rachy, what's wrong?"

"_Stop_ calling me Rachy! I hate it! And what's wrong is that you shouldn't be here. I _called off_ the wedding, remember?"

"Oh, that." He waved his hand dismissively. "You didn't mean that. It's clearly a case of cold feet."

"No, it's not." Rachel shook her head firmly. "I meant what I said. I'm not in love with you."

"Rachel, don't be silly. Of course you love me; you just need to remember. We've been together for the last two years. You're the Magnolia to my Gaylord, the Marian to my Professor Hill, the Laurie to my Curly, the-"

"Jesse, enough! Let me ask you this. If you love me so much, what's my favorite flower?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Roses. I get them for you all the time," Jesse stated confidently.

"No. It's Stargazer Lilies. This is what I mean. We don't talk. I never bothered telling you and you never bothered to ask." Rachel shook her head slowly. "I don't regret the last two years, but I'd regret the rest of my life if I stayed with you."

"You're panicking because I don't know your favorite flower?"

"It's not just that. It's a whole lot of things." She stared at him, seeing in him a new light. Jesse was once again brushing aside her feelings, assuming that he knew what she wanted.

"Rachel-" Jesse began, trying to pull her into a hug, his face a mask of confusion as she sidestepped his embrace.

"You need to leave. Now." Rachel pointed towards the door. "Please don't find me anymore. I think it would be better for us both." She took his hand, placing her engagement ring in it, closing his fingers over it.

"Clearly you need to sleep on this." He leaned toward her to kiss her again, frowning when she ducked him once more. "I'll see you in the morning."

Rachel watched him leave, relief etched across her face. A part of her had hoped that Jesse would simply accept what she had said on the phone and leave her be, but she should have known that he'd show up and just ignore what she'd told him.

Sighing she headed towards the bathroom, hoping the hot water would help clear her head. She spent a long time in the shower, finally deciding that she needed to talk to someone about what was going on, but who? Finn was out, she certainly couldn't talk to him about _Jesse._ She didn't want to talk to Brittany or Quinn about this, since they were blinded by their feelings for Finn. No, what she needed was someone who'd tell it like it is, which left one person.

Stepping out of the shower, she pulled on her pajamas, grabbed her room key and headed towards the one person she knew wouldn't hold back.

* * *

><p>Rachel knocked softly on Kurt's door, hoping he was now sober enough to talk. The door swung open after a moment, revealing not a sober Kurt, but a sleepy eyed Finn. She'd obviously woken him, he was wearing only a pair of shorts and his hair was messier than usual. She stared at him for a second in surprise, before launching herself into his arms, suddenly needing his arms around her. They stayed like that for a minute, each relishing in the feeling of the other.<p>

Rachel finally broke away, still staring at him. "Thank you."

"For what?" Finn asked, stepping aside to let her in.

She didn't answer, glancing around the room instead. "Where's Kurt?" she finally asked.

Finn jerked his thumbed towards the bathroom. "Sleeping it off on the floor next to the toilet." He sat on the bed, watching as Rachel fingered random pieces of Kurt's wardrobe scattered about the room, while she nervously paced.

"What's the matter?" He could tell something was bothering her, suspecting it had something to do with the fiancée. He rubbed his eyes as he waited for her to answer.

"You're tired," Rachel said immediately. "I should go."

"No no, I'm ok," Finn assured her, not wanting to let her leave.

"You have a sleepy look about you, and however adorable it may be, I shouldn't be bothering you," Rachel insisted. "I really only came to see how Kurt was doing." As if on cue, Kurt began vomiting. Rachel ran to the bathroom, concerned. She sat on the floor, next to Kurt, rubbing his back as he retched into the toilet.

Kurt looked at her as he took a drink out of the glass Finn had left on the floor next to him. He settled his head back on the cool tile, closing his eyes. "I approve of you as a sister-in-law," he mumbled, still slurring slightly. "_Much_ better than Santana." He fell asleep immediately, leaving Rachel to mull over his words as she stepped out of the bathroom, leaving Kurt sleeping on the floor, clutching his glass and snoring slightly.

Finn was lying on the bed, eyes closed and one arm behind his head. Rachel stared at him, her eyes roaming over him and taking in his prone form. Silently, she tiptoed over to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers and climbing in.

Finn felt the slight shift of the bed, but didn't open his eyes, afraid to have his hopes dashed in case he opened them and saw Kurt. He squeezed his eyes tighter letting his hope soar when he felt someone snuggle against his body and place a hand on his stomach.

He _really_ hoped this wasn't Kurt.

Tentatively, he opened one eye, relieved to see Rachel's small body pressed up against his. The arm behind his head immediately came down to wrap around Rachel's shoulder, his eyes closing in contentment.

"Who's Santana?"

The words caused his eyes to fly open. "How'd you hear about her?" he managed to choke out.

"Kurt mentioned her just now. Who is she?" Rachel left out the part about getting Kurt's approval as a sister-in-law, although just like before, the thought sent a shiver through her body.

"Just an ex-girlfriend of mine that Kurt hated." He shrugged, hoping Rachel would drop it.

She didn't.

"Oh. Did you date for a long time?" Rachel asked, shifting slightly so she could place her head on his shoulder.

"Not really," he replied, lifting his hips a little so he could slide under the covers like Rachel was. He pulled up the covers, making sure Rachel was sufficiently covered.

"So what happened?"

"She dumped me. Said she met someone else," Finn stated matter of factly, leaving out the part about the man-boobs.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said quietly, quickly picking her head up off his shoulder to look at him.

"Don't be. Santana was a bitch," Finn said bluntly, the hand wrapped around her shoulder rubbing it softly. "She treated me and my family horribly."

"Why did you date her at all then?" Rachel asked quietly, her nails grazing lightly over his chest.

"At first, I think I was so blinded by her body that I guess I just put up with all her snide remarks. I think deep down I knew something was off, but it was easier than being alone, you know?"

"I understand," Rachel said thoughtfully. Finn had just unknowingly voiced the thought that had been running through her mind for a while. "How long ago was this?"

"A year ago. She dumped me via cookie." He quickly explained how Santana had publicly dumped him, to the outrage of Rachel. "Ever since then, I've been single, not in any rush to date, despite what my mom thinks."

"Why?" She inhaled discreetly, letting the smell of his cologne invade her nostrils.

"I guess ever since then, I've been waiting for someone who likes me for me. A tall, clumsy, drum playing art teacher. Someone who doesn't want to change me like Santana did. That description really makes me sound lame, doesn't it?" He ran his free hand through his hair, wishing he could control what came out of his mouth for once.

"It does sound lame, but only because you forgot Smurf Lover," Rachel teased.

"Right. A tall, clumsy, drum playing Smurf Lover of an art teacher," Finn amended, laughing. "Santana never considered my opinions, thinking she knew what was best for me and ignored my wants. My mom doesn't get that I'm waiting for someone who _gets_ me."

"I understand completely." Rachel pressed her head down on his chest, his heartbeat reverberating in her ear. She'd never said it out loud, but Jesse frequently ignored things that she liked or wanted.

They stayed silent for a few minutes, falling into one of those comfortable pauses shared by Kindred Spirits, the kind where no words are necessary.

"So…Jesse?" Finn ventured, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Yeah," Rachel answered unenthusiastically. He's my…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.

"Fiancée?" Finn supplied.

Rachel picked her head up in surprise, sitting up slightly. "You _knew_? How?"

"Brittany."

"Oh." Rachel seethed for a second, making a mental note to have a discussion with Brittany about sharing information with strangers. "Did she at least inform you that he's now my _ex_-fiancée?"

"She mentioned that you were planning on cancelling the wedding. What went wrong?" He stared up at her, rubbing her arm soothingly.

"I think it was a combination of things," Rachel said slowly, relieved to actually unburden herself about Jesse with someone. "Even when he was proposing, I remember standing there, convincing myself to say yes."

"That's not a good sign," Finn agreed.

Rachel placed her head back down, her hand finding his, intertwining their fingers as they rested on his stomach. "Jesse and I dated for two years, and I could never bring myself to move in with him. That should have tipped me off that something was off. Brittany and Quinn both met their husbands in college and I'd look at their relationships and notice the differences between theirs and mine. Artie calls Brittany everyday during lunch so they can eat lunch together over the phone and Noah actually shaved his Mohawk that he's worn since we were eight off for Quinn. When he first brought Quinn to meet our family, I noticed that he had a special smile just for her. Jesse gets upset if I call him at all during a show, and I don't think he has a smile just for me," she said a little sadly.

"Not every relationship is the same though. You can't compare them, it'll make you crazy," Finn pointed out, his hand around her shoulder brushing some hair off her neck and curling it around his finger.

"No? Well how about this then," Rachel challenged. "Quinn, Noah, Artie, and Brittany all had _the Moment._ Quinn noticed Noah as soon as he walked into the bar and couldn't take her eyes off of him. Brittany was dancing in a college showcase and saw Artie in the band as she danced and felt a connection with him. My grandmother always told me that when you meet the one you're supposed to be with, you'll just know; that it's like coming home."

"Coming home?" Finn repeated, his mind reeling from the fact that Rachel's grandmother used the very words that he himself had said to Blaine.

"Brittany and Quinn both said the same thing as Nana; that it would be like meeting an old friend. Quinn said after speaking with Noah that she knew he'd have an important place in her life and he told me that she wouldn't put out on their first date, but it didn't bother him because he just wanted to spend time with her, listening to her tell him things that she never told anyone else. It wasn't like that with me and Jesse. I have lots of things that I never told him, including the fact that I hate to be called _Rachy_." She shuddered at the dreaded nickname. "I never even told him about the Fortune Cookie or the Gypsy."

"So I guess you never had that moment with Jesse?" Finn asked, hoping she'd say that she'd had that moment with _him_ and not Jesse.

"No. We worked together for six months, before he offered to give me some singing pointers over dinner. Like you were with Santana, I was so in awe of him at first, I guess, that I was willing to overlook the fact that there was no moment. When I went wedding dress shopping with Brittany, it struck me that I was more certain about my wedding dress than I was about Jesse."

"He's here to get you back, then?" Finn asked, rubbing her shoulder again, this time with more force. He hated that Jesse was here, but if he was Jesse, he'd sure as hell be flying to Italy to get Rachel back too.

"He was waiting in my hotel room. We had a talk and I explained how I felt, but he still thinks it's just cold feet. Hopefully, he'll leave tomorrow when he sees it's not. I already told my fathers it was off and Quinn told Noah, which means the rest of the family should know by now."

"Does he know why you're here?" Finn asked curiously.

Rachel shook her head against his chest. "No. I didn't want to hurt him, especially since he'd asked me if there was anyone else when I called him. I'd told him no, only the idea of one."

The sound of Kurt once again vomiting filled the room. Finn sighed. "I'll go," he volunteered. He got out of bed, feeling like he and Rachel were parents taking care of a newborn baby.

Rachel watched him go from her position on the bed. She could see Finn kneeling next to Kurt, patting his back, ready to hand him a new glass of water. He glanced up for a second to see her watching and threw Rachel a smile that she couldn't help but feel was just for her.

In between taking turns caring for Kurt, they continued snuggling on the bed, talking long into the night. They talked about _everything_, right down to a heated debate about which flavor of gummi bear was the best. Rachel found herself asking him the kind of questions that she'd never dare to ask Jesse and sharing thoughts that she'd never even told _Brittany_, let alone Jesse.

Eventually, talked out, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…" Kurt cracked open an eye to take in his surroundings. <em>Why <em>was he sleeping on what appeared to be the bathroom floor? He sat up quickly, which was a mistake, since it only increased the pounding in his head. He sat still for a moment, waiting for the pounding to decrease to a dull throb before he attempted to place his hands on the toilet and try to stand.

There. He was successfully on his feet. He opened his mouth several times, which felt like he'd swallowed a bunch of cotton balls. Slowly, he reached out and placed first one hand and then the other on sink, steadying himself before he lifted his eyes to the mirror.

_Oh. My. Gaga._

His hands gripped the sink tightly as he took in his appearance. His normally perfectly coiffed hair was looking suspiciously Finn like, sticking up every which way. His skin, which he normally took such pride in, was pale and sunken, and thanks to his night on the floor was imprinted with the design of the floor tiles. He probed his skin gently, wondering if he'd packed his emergency skin replenishing moisturizing kit. His skin was forgotten immediately when he allowed his eyes to roam down to his new Marc Jacobs shirt, which was stained with a combination of alcohol and what appeared to be bits of vomit. To his horror, several buttons were missing from the front of the shirt and a large hole could be seen on the seam near the shoulder.

In short, he looked like he'd been hit by a Mack truck. The only thought that could rise above the throbbing in his head was that he needed to find his stain guide and _fast._

Ever so slowly, he turned and gingerly stepped out of the bathroom. Concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other, he made his way towards his suitcases, not noticing anything other than the floor in front of his feet. Wincing at both the effort required to lift his train case onto the bed and the sound of the clasp snapping open, he rummaged through the train case looking for his more comprehensive stain chart, hoping he didn't wake Finn and Rachel sleeping in the bed.

Hold on.

Finn and… _Rachel?_

In _his_ bed. Great. He was going to need to switch rooms.

He stopped rummaging to focus his eyes on the occupants of his bed, praying that he could see some clothing. Rachel was snuggled against Finn, her head resting on his chest, the covers completely covering her up to her neck, although the hand she had on Finn's chest was peeking out from under the blanket. It was clear that Finn had no shirt on, but at the moment Kurt was more concerned with what was –or wasn't- being worn _under_ the blanket. He watched them for a moment, struggling with an internal debate over whether or not he should pick up the covers to check for clothing. If Rachel was naked under there, that would do nothing for him, but if he picked up the blanket and saw Finn –_his brother- _naked, that would scar him for life. He decided to take his chances with Rachel. Cautiously, he picked up the blanket behind Rachel and lifted it, breathing a sigh of relief when he caught a quick glimpse of a tank top and pajama shorts.

The blanket moving must have been felt by Finn because he shifted slightly and opened his eyes. "Morning Kurt. Is that this season's look in hangover couture?" he smirked. His smirk turned to a smile when he realized who was in bed next to him.

Kurt, his head pounding too much to think of a witty reply, simply glared at him and slowly began his walk of shame back to the bathroom. Finn watched him go, tempted to slam a door just to annoy Kurt, but not quite willing to get out of bed yet.

The reason for his reluctance began stirring next to him. He stared down at her, watching as consciousness gradually took over her body and marveling at how beautiful she was, hoping that didn't make him seem stalkerish. He could feel her stretching next to him, her eyes still closed as she gave a sigh and cuddled against him, trying to find a more comfortable position.

Finn could tell the exact moment full consciousness took over. Rachel's eyes snapped open, although she didn't remove her head from his chest. "Hey, you," he said, letting his hand rub up and down her back lightly.

Rachel shifted her head to stare up at him, her eyes wide. "Good morning, Finn." She extracted herself from him and sat up, suddenly shy. "How's Kurt?"

"He's got the hangover from hell I'd say," Finn replied smirking. The bathroom door opened again, to reveal a still disheveled Kurt standing unsteadily in the doorway. Whatever he'd been doing in the bathroom hadn't helped, since he looked exactly the same as when he went in. Finn quickly grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and snapped a picture, sending it off to Blaine, Mom and Burt as revenge for all the pictures Kurt had sent of those girls the tour had found for him. Kurt didn't even have the energy to protest, trudging over to the bed and carefully draping himself across the foot of the bed.

Rachel immediately went into concerned mode. "Kurt? Do you need some water? How about some Tylenol?"

"Or maybe another Long Island Iced Tea?" Finn added slyly, chuckling when the only reply he got was a very unKurtlike middle finger waving weakly in the air.

"Kurt, you should shower, alternating between cold and hot water. Some food will do you good; so you'd better show up at breakfast. You need to replenish the vitamins in your body, you know," Rachel directed. "I'm going to go get dressed in my own room, but I'm leaving Finn in charge of helping you get ready." She climbed over Finn, who bit his lip when she inadvertently brushed her groin over his. He quickly pulled the covers over himself, hiding his lap, hoping Kurt wasn't planning on moving in the next few minutes since there was no way Finn could get out of this bed without humiliating himself.

He watched from the safety of the bed as Rachel fussed over Kurt for a few minutes, before turning to him. "I'm leaving now. I probably shouldn't have been here at all, but…thank you." She leaned over and kissed his forehead gently, slipping out of the room before he could say or do anything. Finn lay back against the headboard, still feeling Rachel's lips on his forehead.

"I may have a hangover the size of Texas, but I'm not blind. You two looked like a married couple, cuddled up the way you were," Kurt spoke to the ceiling, not bothering to pick up his head. "Spill."

"Nothing happened. She just came to see how you were doing, and while you were puking your brains out, we talked." He shrugged, wanting to keep the specifics of their night to himself. "You need help getting to the shower?"

"I'm not leaving this bed until the room stops spinning. Tell me what happened and why it had to happen in _my_ bed." Kurt remained draped over the foot of the bed, not planning to move for a _long_ time.

"Nope." Stealthily, Finn got out of bed, quickly scooping Kurt up and depositing him in the shower. He turned the water on, soaking Kurt clothes and all. "I'm gonna wait outside. You heard Rachel. Take a shower; it'll make you feel better." He ignored Kurt's sputtering, turning the water as cold as it could go until Kurt agreed. "You owe me dude, for taking care you," he called over his shoulder as he walked out.

He leaned against the closed bathroom door, reliving the night. Despite what he'd just said to Kurt, he couldn't help but feel it was the other way around. _He_ totally owed _Kurt_ since it was Kurt's inebriated state that caused Rachel to come to his room and end up spending the night. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but felt that things had suddenly shifted his way.

Sam Evans and fiancée be damned. Finn Hudson was about to get the girl for once.

* * *

><p>Rachel played with her fork, anxiously looking up every time someone came out onto the terrace, disappointment filling her each time she realized it wasn't Finn. She'd snuck back to her room, showered and dressed, her night with Finn on her mind the whole time. Brittany and Quinn were across from her, since she'd immediately put her bag on the seat next to her when she'd arrived, saving it for Finn. Brittany had tried to sit there, and it had taken some quick thinking on Rachel's part (along with a shove) to keep Brittany from sitting there. She'd kept the events of last night to herself, not yet willing to discuss them with Brittany or Quinn.<p>

"Waiting for someone?" Brittany asked slyly, taking a sip of her tea.

"I'm just concerned about Kurt. He lost a lot of vitamins and I'm sure is severely dehydrated," Rachel replied, unable to help the grin that formed on her face when she saw Finn and Kurt come slowly through the door. "Here he comes now."

"Right. That grin that just came on your face is all for Kurt's welfare," Quinn commented drily.

Rachel ignored her comment, her eyes following Finn and Kurt slowly making their way over to the table. Kurt was back to looking like Kurt, dressed in an impeccable outfit, but his slow gait and enormous sunglasses revealed his hung over state. "Hello, Kurt!" she called out cheerfully, handing him a glass of orange juice as he sat next to Quinn. She smiled at Finn as he helped Kurt sit. He returned her smile with one of his own before heading over to the buffet.

"Shhh! Rachel, I'm right here, must you yell? It's bad enough I found you in my bed with Finn this morning, now you're intent on making my hangover worse?" He took a very small sip of his orange juice, not noticing the interested looks Brittany and Quinn assumed at his words.

"Care to explain, Rachel?" Brittany asked innocently. "How did you end up in bed with Finn?"

"I was helping to take care of Kurt and I fell asleep," Rachel defended. "It was nothing."

Kurt snorted, grabbing his head immediately when the pounding increased. "That didn't look like nothing. You two were snuggled so closely together that I couldn't tell where he ended and you began. I actually had to check to make sure that you had clothes on."

"_Really?" _Brittany and Quinn said simultaneously.

Rachel was saved from answering by the unwelcome appearance of Jesse. "Hello, Rachel," he said brightly, sitting down next to her and attempting to kiss her temple. Rachel recoiled immediately, ducking away from him.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, annoyed by the fact that the seat she'd gone to great lengths to save for Finn was now occupied by _Jesse._

"Eating breakfast with my fiancée. What are we doing today?" he asked, grabbing all the slices of cantaloupe off Rachel's plate. She seethed; he knew cantaloupe was her favorite and he'd just taken it _all._

Finn came over to the table a plate in each hand. He placed one in front of Kurt, sitting down on next to Brittany. He eyed Jesse with interest, his amber eyes flickering between Rachel's annoyed face and this stranger, knowing instinctively that this was the fiancée. "Hi, I'm Finn, and this is my brother Kurt," he said casually, holding out his hand to Jesse.

"Jesse St. James, but I'm sure you know that from the many press write ups about me. I'm also Rachel's fiancée." He shook Finn's hand, glancing curiously over at Kurt, who'd slumped down, his face practically in the plate of food Finn had brought him. "Is he special?" Jesse whispered loudly to Rachel, not noticing the angry look on her face.

"Jesse, a word?" Rachel stood up and stomped off to a secluded corner, Jesse following closely behind.

"Rachel, what's the matter?" he asked.

"We. Are. Not. Engaged." She gestured between the two of them. "And how dare you insinuate that Kurt is special, just because he's not falling at your feet. He's simply hung over."

"Not this again. I told you, it's cold feet," Jesse leaned one arm on either side of her head, effectively pinning her against the wall. "As for what's his name, can you blame me for thinking he's special? He's practically sleeping in his eggs, and the big one seems pretty simple to me. They seem like good friends for Brittany."

"_Don't _insult my friends," Rachel warned, stepping out from in between his arms.

"Fine. I take it back." Jesse rolled his eyes. "Why don't we spend the day together? We can be simple tourists. It'll be a good acting exercise."

"Jesse get it through your head. You and I are _over._ I'm sorry if you came all the way here thinking that there was something left to save, but there isn't. I don't want to spend the day with you; I don't even want to spend _breakfast_ with you. Please try to understand." She stomped back over to the table, noting with annoyance that Giulia the stripper was now seated at the table next to Finn, along with Luca. She caught Finn's eye as she sat down, who seemed just as annoyed that Giulia was there.

"Rachel, you remember Giulia right?" Luca asked.

"Hello Giulia. What are you doing here?" Rachel responded bluntly, noting that Giulia was still in the same clothes from last night.

"Luca and I had the sex last night," she responded cheerfully, stealing a strawberry off of Kurt's plate. "I plan on Finn, but he no want, so I have the sex with Luca instead. Maybe I have the sex with Finn tonight." She dragged a finger down Finn's arm enticingly.

Rachel choked on the tea she'd just sipped, unable to look at Finn. "Excuse me…I'm…I'm just going to get some cantaloupe."

"Oh, here, have mine. I know it's your favorite, so I brought extra for you," Finn said, tipping his cantaloupe onto Rachel's plate.

Jesse watched this exchange with interest through narrowed eyes. The man he'd mistaken for a simpleton was getting a blinding smile from Rachel, simply for bringing fruit for her. He hadn't been serious when he'd asked Rachel if there was someone else, but he was starting to rethink that. He'd planned to be back on a plane to New York tonight, Rachel by his side, but this unexpected development might throw a wrench in his plans.

Not that he was worried. He _was_ Jesse St. James, Broadway star.

And stars _always _get the girl.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Ugh...I know what's going to happen and even I'm sitting here going, "God, Jesse's got to go."_**

**_Magnolia and Gaylord are from Showboat, Marian and Professor Hill are from The Music Man and Laurie and Curly from Oklahoma!_**


	14. Rachel Has The Fun, While Jesse Has None

_**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>"When two people are on a crash course for each other and you put yourself in the middle it's only bringing them closer together."<strong>_

_**- Dawson's Creek**_

* * *

><p>If there was one thing the Broadway audition process had taught Jesse, it was to know your competition. Which was why he found himself on a boat headed to the nearby island of Capri, watching the man he'd dubbed a simpleton's every move. For that matter, that meant he was watching Rachel because wherever the Simpleton was, Rachel was, which annoyed Jesse to no end. His task was made slightly harder by the fact that Giulia had attached herself to him, but he chalked it up to his incredible star magnetism.<p>

Why she insisted on surrounding herself with the likes of him and his slow brother was beyond him. Rachel was really too nice for her own good. He stared at Kurt, who was stretched across three seats, holding his stomach and groaning, his head in Quinn's lap, figuring that Rachel must be taking pity on the Simpleton and his brother. It was bad enough she hung out with Brittany, now he'd have to deal with these two when they got home.

He'd already completed the seating chart for the wedding, and he was going to kill Rachel if she insisted on adding two more seats at the reception. He shuddered, realizing it would actually be _four_ more seats since he was sure Rachel would demand they be allowed to bring dates. A shudder ran through him again at the thought of who they would scrounge up for dates. Maybe he should require them to submit photos of their dates for approval. He could just _imagine_ what the Broadway community would think if he had country bumpkins at his wedding. If Rachel insisted on inviting them, maybe he could pass them off as an homage to his recently concluded spectacular run as Curly in _Oklahoma!_

Jesse eyed the Simpleton, who at the moment was drawing something on a piece of paper, Rachel and Brittany giggling about something across from him. He wasn't bad looking; he'd give him that, even if he did constantly have a confused look on his face. In fact, he'd make a good background member of a Broadway cast. As far as Jesse could see, there was nothing remarkable about him, other than his height.

What _was_ remarkable was the way Rachel was looking at him. She was looking at him like he hung the moon when she thought no one was looking, and Jesse didn't like it. Hence the reason why he was devoting his time to watching the Simpleton.

In short, he had to figure out _what_ Rachel saw in him, because he felt sure that that was the key to getting Rachel back on a plane with him. While the Broadwayesque aspect of Rachel calling off his wedding hadn't gone unnoticed by Jesse, he'd prefer it to be left on stage. He frowned, realizing there was only one thing he could do.

He had to make friends with the Simpleton.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Brittany. I'm all done. You can move now." Finn cast a critical eye on the paper in front of him, fixing a line here and there as Brittany squealed excitedly.<p>

Once Brittany had heard from Rachel that Finn was very talented at doing portraits she'd immediately wanted one. Finn certainly didn't mind, but he was a little surprised when Brittany announced that she wanted a _caricature._ Fortunately for her (and him), he'd taken a caricature drawing class in college and ever since then, one of his favorite ways to annoy Kurt was by drawing him as an exaggerated caricature, shopping for knockoffs or carrying chain store bags. It was good practice, and it never failed to infuriate Kurt, so bonus for him.

He handed the caricature over to Brittany and Rachel to inspect almost shyly. Brittany's only stipulation had been that her cat Lord Tubbington be incorporated into the picture, and after a few questions about Brittany's hobbies, some suggestions from Rachel and more than a few pictures of Lord Tubbington provided by Brittany, he'd managed to come up with a caricature in which Brittany's exaggerated form was at a ballet barre, her legs bent in a plie position, one hand over her head, the other placed on the barre. A fondue pot was at her feet, and the hand over her head was gripping a fondue fork. Behind her, on the roof of his cat chalet, Lord Tubbington was lounging on a chair watching Brittany, a bottle of Evian next to his chair and a fondue fork in his paw. Finn was confused by that one, but Brittany insisted he needed a fondue fork too, since Lord Tubbington only eats human food. Finn watched Brittany's face anxiously, waiting to see what her reaction would be.

He shouldn't have worried, because Brittany began squealing even louder as soon as she saw it. "Rachel! Look how great Lord Tubbington looks! He's going to _love_ this! And look! You managed to include our fondue parties! Finn, this is fantastic! I love it!"

Finn's smile grew wider with each word. He rubbed his neck, embarrassed. "It's no big deal. I draw them all the time to annoy Kurt." He glanced at Rachel, pleased to see that she had that smile he really liked on her face and her eyes were shining. He smiled back at her, unable to stop himself from staring at her.

"Do you think you could make a smaller version to hang in Lord Tubbington's cat chalet?" Brittany asked, drawing his gaze from Rachel.

"Uh…" Finn faltered, not sure if she was serious or not. He looked back at Rachel, who was still giving him that smile, the one that spread from ear to ear. She seemed to sense his confusion, because she immediately jumped to his aid.

"Brits, why don't we just photocopy and shrink this one?" Rachel suggested, winking at Finn.

Her suggestion seemed to satisfy Brittany because she hugged the picture to herself as she called Quinn and Kurt over to come see her picture. Kurt remained draped over his chairs, but Quinn came over, as did Jesse, to Rachel's supreme annoyance.

She'd been furious when Jesse had invited himself to come to Capri with them. She'd tried to leave the hotel before Jesse was ready, but Kurt's hangover forced them to move slower than she'd have liked, allowing Luca, Giulia and Jesse to catch up to them. A quick comment to Giulia about Jesse wanting the sex, and Rachel had managed to avoid Jesse thus far. Which left her plenty of time to spend with Kurt, Finn, Quinn and Brittany.

But mainly Finn.

Brittany excitedly held out her caricature for Quinn to view, who immediately fawned over it, wanting one for herself. Rachel eyed Jesse, recognizing that critical look he got whenever he was critiquing someone else's talent or work. She stared at him, daring him to say anything negative about Finn's talent or Brittany's picture.

He surprised her by merely raising an eyebrow and commenting that he could easily make money in Times Square. Her mouth dropped open slightly at his words. In two years of knowing Jesse, she'd _never_ seen him make such a passive comment about someone's work. Normally he'd welcome the chance to impart his wisdom on those he deemed less talented as him, even if it was in a completely different field. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. He may be a Broadway actor, but she hadn't been with him for the last two years for nothing. His acting skills weren't _that_ good.

Jesse St. James was up to something.

* * *

><p>"Alright, so we'll meet back here for lunch then?" Quinn asked, looking around the group for confirmation. "Brits, Kurt, you ready for shopping?" Brittany nodded enthusiastically, Kurt slightly less so. "We'll see you guys later then!" Quinn announced, linking arms with Brittany and Kurt and strolling away, ready to start their latest shopping excursion.<p>

Rachel watched them go, smiling, until she realized that Jesse was still standing there with Luca and Giulia. "Where are you three headed?" she asked, implying that wherever they were headed, it better not be where she and Finn were going.

"We're not sure yet," Jesse replied, keeping his eyes on Rachel while sidestepping Giulia at the same time.

"Oh. Well good luck figuring that out," Rachel responded, grabbing Finn's arm and pulling him away, glancing over her shoulder once or twice to make sure Jesse wasn't following them.

"So that was Jesse?" Finn asked as they walked along. "He seems…intense."

"He got one lead role and now he really thinks he's Broadway Royalty. To say it's gone to his head is an understatement." Rachel rolled her eyes, making Finn chuckle.

"You two don't seem like you meshed," Finn commented.

"How so?"

"Well, I mean you're different. Even with your views on Broadway, from what I've seen, he's let it go to his head and it seems like it's more of an business to him, while you…you just light up when you talk about Broadway, like it's _in_ you. You know what I mean?" Finn ran a hand through his hair, wishing he was better with words yet again.

He figured he must have really did a poor job explaining because Rachel stopped walking and stared at him, but to his surprise, she said nothing, choosing to wrap her arms around his stomach. Finn brought his own arms around her, pulling her to him. He was unsure of why she was hugging him, but he'd take it.

Rachel pulled away, staring up at him. "Thanks."

Finn looked at her, confused. Every time she hugged him and said thanks, he never had any idea what he was being thanked for. "For what?"

"For being you. For not rubbing it in my face when you found out I was engaged. I was so horrible to you when I found out you weren't Sam."

"That's true, you were," Finn joked, earning a playful slap from Rachel as they continued walking side by side.

"Hey, Rach?" Finn ventured. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Finn."

"Where are we going?"

Rachel laughed. "I have no idea. I just wanted to get away from Jesse. I suppose we could go to the beach or maybe-" She paused, noticing an advertisement written in English on a nearby building. "There! We're doing that!"

She took off at a run, heading towards the marina. Finn had just enough time to realize that the sign was advertising private sailboat tours around the island, including a stop at the famous Blue Grotto before he had to run after her.

He caught up to her just as she was reaching the window of the sailboat company. Rachel ignored his protests as she happily handed over her credit card, claiming that he paid for the last boat ride they'd taken. The woman at the window pointed out an older man nearby, who would be serving as their tour guide, as well as their boat captain. Grabbing Finn by the arm, Rachel bounced over to the man, excited to spend the next two hours at sea. Alone. With no possibility of Jesse intruding.

"Are you Paolo?" Rachel asked the man, who nodded. "I'm Rachel and this is Finn. We're going to be your passengers!"

"_La luna di miele?"_ Paolo asked. "The honeymoon?"

"Oh. No." Rachel blushed, accepting a hand from Paolo as he helped her into the boat, Finn climbing in unassisted after her.

"I'll be back," Paolo promised, heading towards the company building. "Five minutes."

Finn glanced around the boat in awe, feeling as if he was in _Pirates of the Caribbean_ or something. The boat wasn't quite like something Captain Jack Sparrow would commandeer, but it was still pretty cool. There were no sails, but back half of the wooden boat where they were currently sitting was covered by a large square awning, while the bow of the boat was exposed to the sun, a large deck providing a fantastic spot to lounge or sunbathe. "This is pretty cool, Rachel."

"Isn't it? I feel like Captain Jack Sparrow is going to come sailing by," Rachel answered, smiling widely. "I'm glad I wore my bathing suit."

"Wait, you've seen _Pirates_?" Finn asked, surprised.

"I have a thing for Johnny Depp," Rachel admitted. "Brittany and I have seen all the _Pirates _movies."

"Your friends, they arrive," Paolo announced as he climbed into the boat, fresh from smoking a cigarette.

"What? What friends?" Rachel cried. Finn said nothing, getting a bad feeling in his stomach.

"Hi Rachel," Jesse announced cheerfully as he climbed into the boat, turning to help Giulia into the boat, Luca just behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel spat out. "Why are they here?" she demanded of Paolo.

"They say they with you," Paolo said, shrugging.

"We were going to get our own boat, then Luca saw Finn on the dock and once they said there was no more boats, we figured you wouldn't mind if we hopped on with you," Jesse explained sweetly. "You don't mind do you, Rachel?"

Rachel glared at him, before storming off towards the front of the boat, pulling Finn with her.

Jesse stared after her, wondering if getting Rachel back was going to be harder than he'd originally thought. It had taken quite a bit of stealth spy work to follow Rachel and the Simpleton as they'd walked. Giulia had kept yapping in his ear and trying to drag him into shops causing him to almost lose Rachel once or twice. He thought for sure that Giulia's screech of joy when she'd spotted a necklace she wanted in a window would cause them to be discovered, but he had a feeling he'd been successful in his spying, if the look on Rachel's face when he'd climbed in was anything to go by. Other than that one hug, he was pleased to see that they'd shared no public displays of affection while he'd been following them. His sneak attack was such a success, he felt like breaking into song.

Score: Jesse St. James - 1, Simpleton – 0.

* * *

><p>"Why? Why is he doing this?" Rachel asked, still fuming. They'd been at sea for a half an hour, listening as Paolo pointed out various caves and sights and in between, Rachel ranted to Finn about Jesse. So far, a sort of invisible line existed along the boat, with Rachel and Finn claiming the sunbathing area, while Jesse, Luca and Giulia remained in the back.<p>

"I'm guessing he wants you back," Finn suggested, knowing that that was exactly why Jesse was doing this. He could see Jesse watching them, probably dying of curiosity to know what the relationship between Finn and Rachel was.

Maybe if he found out, he could let Finn know, since he sure as hell had no idea.

"But why? Why can't he let me go? I'm done with him," Rachel pointed out.

"That's because you were the dumper," Finn explained patiently. "It's easier for the dumper than the dumpee because it usually means they found someone better, like how you found Sam. Maybe you should write it on a cookie for Jesse," he added playfully.

Rachel laughed. "It could say _your curly hair freaks me out_."

"How about, _you don't know who the Fantastic Four_ _are_," Finn joked.

"I like it. I think one should also say _you're pompous_," Rachel decided, laughing.

"One of mine said I was a bad kisser," Finn admitted, blushing red right up to the tips of his ears.

Rachel leaned closer, so that only the two of them could hear. "Now, I know for a fact that that's not true, but considering I felt no sparks when I kissed Jesse, I think we should add it to his cookies."

Finn laughed, secretly pleased at her response. "Ok."

Rachel laughed also, happy she could ease his mind about that worry. She snuck a look at Jesse, who looked murderous for a second, then plastered one of his show smiles on his face.

She frowned for a second, wondering just what Jesse was up to. He hated doing what he called common touristy things and a tour of the island was about at touristy as you could get.

"Rachele! What eez so funny?" Giulia asked as she broke the invisible barrier between the two groups and climbed onto the sun platform.

Rachel eyed the unwelcome intruder. Thanks to Kurt's slowness due to his hangover, Giulia had had plenty of time to run home and change into the super slutty halter top and tiny shorts she was currently wearing. Rachel bit her tongue, resisting the urge to ask Giulia if she carried a portable stripper pole in her purse. Instead, she politely replied, "Nothing. Finn was just telling me a joke."

"Oh, _va bene." _Giulia shrugged, her arms reaching for the hem of her shirt.

Rachel's eyes grew wide as Giulia peeled off her shirt, revealing a tiny bikini top that barely contained her ample chest. She quickly looked away, noticing that Luca's, Paolo's and even Jesse's eyes were fixated on the small pieces of fabric on Giulia's chest. She frowned when she realized Finn wasn't immune to Giulia's current state of dress either, his eyes wide as he stared at her. Giulia, noticing that she had the full attention of Finn, shifted over so that she was in his view, before slowly shimmying out of her shorts, revealing the skimpy bottom she was wearing over her perfect body. "We sunbathe now, yes?"

"Feel free," Rachel replied, gesturing to the platform, not willing to remove her own shirt in front of the perfection that was Giulia.

"No, no. We do _insieme,_" Giulia insisted. "Together."

Quickly, she crawled over to Finn, straddling his lap before he could move. He cast a horrified look over at Rachel, who was watching Giulia with a strange look on her face, her arms crossed. Giulia, noticing that she no longer had his attention, used one long finger to turn his head back towards her. "I help," she purred, running her hands down his chest to reach the hemline of his shirt. Slowly, she dragged her hands back up his chest, pulling his shirt along with it.

Finn snuck another look at Rachel, who had now narrowed her eyes, her arms still crossed on her chest. He turned back to Giulia, who was practically giving him a lap dance as she tried to pull off his shirt. He quickly grabbed her hands, stopping her. "I…uh…I can do it!" he blurted out, pulling off his shirt and wanting nothing more than to get her off his lap and away from him. "Maybe someone else needs your help."

"_Va bene_!" She climbed off of Finn and turned her attention to Rachel. "Now you."

"No, that's-" Rachel started to protest. Her protest was immediately ignored when Giulia simply reached over and pulled the tank top off of Rachel, revealing the same polka dotted bikini that Finn had helped her untie.

"Cute. Like a _bambina_, no?" Giulia asked, eyeing her bikini top. "My sister's baby girl, she have same bathing suit."

Rachel glared at her as she quickly removed her shorts and placed them into her bag, along with the tank top and Finn's shirt.

Rachel, assuming Giulia would lie down and sunbathe now, turned to Finn, prepared to resume their _private_ conversation and ignore Giulia.

Giulia, however, had other ideas. Settling across from Finn, she focused her eyes on him as she unhooked her bathing suit top and let it fall into her lap. "Much better, I think."

Rachel had looked at Finn just in time to see his mouth drop open. Curious to see what caused that reaction, she turned her head in the direction his eyes were staring, to see Giulia leaning back on her hands, arching her back, pushing her large chest out.

"Oh my God!" Rachel cried, mortified. She quickly averted her eyes back to Finn, frowning when she realized he was _still_ staring at Giulia. A quick glance over at Luca, Jesse and Paolo revealed that they too were staring at Giulia, or more appropriately, her chest. Rachel rolled her eyes at how stupid men got around the sight of breasts.

"Something is wrong, yes?" Giulia asked; leaning back and propping herself on her elbows as she looked at Rachel.

"Something is wrong, yes. You're _naked_ from the waist up," Rachel replied primly.

"So? Is no problem, right boys?" Giulia pleaded, batting her eyes at them.

"No," Luca called.

"I certainly don't have any objections," Jesse added.

"Is good," Paolo agreed.

"And Finn? How you think?" Giulia asked, shifting so he got the best view she could possibly give him.

"Yes, Finn, how you think?" Rachel mimicked, crossing her arms.

Finn stared at both girls, unsure of what to say. If Giulia wanted to go topless, he had _no_ problems with that. Her boobs were huge and really awesome to look at, although he thought Rachel's would be nicer, if much smaller. Still, boobs were boobs and if Giulia was putting hers on display, wasn't it his duty as a guy to let her? He settled on what he thought was a diplomatic answer. "Uh, if she wants to go topless, that's her decision."

"Stop being so uptight, Rachel," Jesse called. "It's fine for someone like Giulia to go topless."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed at both his insult to her and his _I'm better than all of you_ attitude. "And just what does that mean?"

"Relax, Rachel. I just meant that someone like Giulia doesn't have the pressures that you and I have. Finn knows what I'm talking about, don't you?" Jesse asked, noting with satisfaction that the Simpleton was looking at Giulia again.

Finn, surprised at being dragged into the conversation, looked at Rachel. "Uh not really. Everybody has pressures. I don't see what that has to do with taking your top off." He must have answered right, because Rachel gave him a smile, which he immediately returned. Jesse frowned. He'd hoped that the Simpleton would be caught off guard and make himself look even stupider in front of Rachel, but she was smiling at him for some reason.

"Rachele, you need to have the fun, I think," Giulia announced. She turned to Luca, calling out something to him in Italian.

"Oh. Let me think," Luca responded, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Prudish is the word you want."

"Rachele, you are proo-deesh," Giulia announced in her accented English. "Have the fun now!" She reached behind Rachel, unhooking Rachel's bathing suit before Rachel realized what was happening.

Finn's eyes went wide, deciding he had never liked Giulia more.

Rachel gasped, her hands flying up to her bathing suit to put the hook back in place. Fortunately, the strap around her neck prevented the bathing suit from coming completely off.

"You're wasting your time Giulia. Rachel's not that kind of girl," Jesse called from his spot just under the awning, having refused to come out into the sun. As a Broadway star, he simply couldn't risk the damage to his skin, something Rachel should be concerned about also, but ever since she'd gone crazy and gotten cold feet, important things like Broadway had gone out the window.

Rachel stared at him, her eyes narrowing in irritation. Slowly, she untied the straps around her neck letting them fall across her chest. Giulia started to cheer, while Finn sat up in anticipation.

"_Rachel_. You are not some cheap harlot. _Do not go any further_. What if there's a camera around?" Jesse hissed. "What has gotten into you?"

Rachel said nothing, turning her back on him and facing Finn as she reached behind her to unhook the clasp. Ever so slowly, she released the clasp, letting the top fall in her hands. She glanced over her shoulder at Jesse, her eyes dark with a combination of anger and defiance, holding the bathing suit top by the hook in her right hand before dropping it in Finn's lap.

Finn's mouth dropped open as he stared in shock. He'd been right; Rachel's boobs were _totally _nicer than Giulia's. Still staring at Rachel, he grabbed a nearby pillow, suddenly feeling the need to cover his lap. If he had been able to tear his eyes away from Rachel, he might have noticed that at the other end of the boat, Luca was doing the same thing, while Jesse sat there, furious.

Rachel stared back at him, blushing, suddenly realizing that she was _topless_. She attempted to cover herself up with her hands, knowing that from his vantage point; Finn would easily be able to compare her chest with Giulia's, a competition she could never win.

"Rachele, no!" Giulia chided, removing Rachel's hands and placing them at her sides. "The small breasts, they are beautiful, right Finn?"

Finn, who hadn't moved his eyes from Rachel, managed to find the ability to speak. "Uh, yes. Beautiful. They're beautiful."

Rachel gave him a small smile as she stretched out and patted the spot next to her, letting the sun warm her body. Finn closed his eyes, forcing himself to chant the word mailman in his mind as he sat, ignoring Giulia as she lay on the other side of him.

"You don't have to lie," Rachel said quietly, so only Finn could hear.

"Lie about what?"

"I know I don't look like Giulia," she admitted, looking down at her chest.

"Meaning you actually _want_ that color hair?" Finn asked, confused.

"Meaning my small chest is not beautiful. She looks like a goddess," Rachel whispered, biting her lip as she look down at her chest.

"Rachel, believe me when I tell you I didn't lie," Finn said firmly.

"I saw how everyone was drooling over her," Rachel insisted, still looking down at her chest.

"We're guys; we're required to drool at the sight of boobs. It's in the manual they give you when your voice changes," Finn joked. "But seriously, I meant what I said. _You're_ beautiful. _They're_ beautiful." He lifted her chin with his fingers. "_Every_ part of you is beautiful."

Rachel found herself staring at him again, her eyes searching his face for any tell of a lie. When she found none, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. Finn reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her, very aware of her bare breasts pushed against his chest. Quickly, before _she_ became aware of one of his body parts pushed against her, he pulled away from her, giving her a smile as he lay down. Rachel smiled back as she lay down next to him, shifting over to close the gap between them.

And if one of her fingers just _happened_ to hook with one of his and stay like that, so be it.

* * *

><p>Jesse sat fuming from his spot under the awning, still in shock that Rachel was acting like a common whore. She'd openly defied him, and to make matters worse, she couldn't just take her top off for a moment to make her point, and then get dressed again. No, she had to take it off and keep it off, which meant that forty-five minutes later, Rachel was <em>still<em> topless, lying with Giulia and the Simpleton. When Giulia had mentioned her plan to go sunbathe by Finn, he'd encouraged it, never dreaming that she meant topless and _never _thinking that Rachel would join in.

And yet, there Finn was, surrounded by topless girls on either side of him, while he, Jesse St. James, Broadway star, was sitting under an awning with a fat old Italian man and Quinn's cousin, who could do nothing but stare at Rachel, drool coming out the side of his mouth until Jesse had reminded Luca that Rachel was _his _fiancée.

It must have been the first time the Simpleton had ever seen breasts, because Jesse frequently observed him closing his eyes and mumbling something. Jesse had smirked as he'd watched him clumsily attempt to put sunscreen on Rachel's back at her request. At first he'd been annoyed that she hadn't asked _him_, but his annoyance soon turned to amusment as he watched the Oaf get so excited he squirted the sunscreen into the air as soon as she'd handed him the bottle and turned around expectantly. He noticed that Rachel had her eyes closed and was biting her lip as he rubbed the sunscreen on her, probably irritated by his clumsiness.

Only when they'd reached the famous Blue Grotto had Rachel put her top back on. Entrance to the Blue Grotto required them to transfer to small two person rowboats, a fact which had sent Jesse into overdrive, trying to maneuver a way to get into a rowboat with Rachel. He'd almost succeeded, waiting until Rachel was helped into a rowboat. He quickly pointed out to Finn that he'd dropped something, cutting in front of him when he look down to see what he'd dropped and climbing into the boat, only to have Rachel announce that she forgot something and had to get out, quickly telling Giulia to take her place.

Giulia had happily obliged, and while her body pressed up against his as they lay together on the bottom of the boat as instructed by the driver was very nice, his mind was racing, thinking of what was going on in Rachel's rowboat, which was also occupied, to his annoyance, by Finn. What kind of country was this, where tourists had to lay pressed against each other on the bottom of a boat in order to enter a cave? He'd tried lifting his head up to see what was going on in the boat behind them, but Giulia had pushed his head down immediately. Once they were in the cave and were allowed to sit up, he'd shot up and had seen Rachel's body lying on top of the Simpleton, whispering something in his ear. Rachel's giggles echoed throughout the cave, as she listened to whatever he was saying to her, and even Giulia noticed, whispering to Jesse, "They look good together, no?"

His irritation grew as soon as they'd gotten back out of the cave and back on their sailboat since Rachel's top had immediately come off again as she sat and talked with Finn. Clearly, Rachel hadn't learned the _know your competition_ rule, because if she had, she'd know that there was_ no _way she could ever compete with Giulia in the breasts department. She was really just embarrassing herself and he made a mental note to tell her that.

Not that it mattered, once they were married, she'd never be going topless in public again, unless it was for a role.

* * *

><p>Paolo drove them to a secluded spot, offering to let them jump off the side of the boat into the water for a bit. Luca and Giulia had jumped in immediately, frolicking in the water, as Rachel, Jesse, and Finn looked on from the boat. "Aren't you going, Rachel?" Jesse asked.<p>

Rachel looked nervously down at the water. "I don't know. It's kind of high to jump."

Jesse scoffed. "It's not that high. I've fallen off higher when I do my big fight scene in _Oklahoma! _Watch." He jumped in, quickly surfacing and calling for Rachel. "Come on, don't be stupid. It's just water."

Rachel bit her lip and looked up at Finn. "I don't know."

"Don't do it if you don't want to," Finn advised.

"Are you going to do it?" she asked, peering down at the water again.

"I was going to, but I don't want you to be here alone." He looked out at the water. It looked _awesome_, but he really didn't want her to be alone. Her douche of a groom was currently screaming at her to get over it and get in the water, but he could see the fear in her eyes. If she was really that afraid, he'd gladly sit with her and talk.

"Jump with me?" Rachel offered.

"Deal."

Side by side, they stood on the edge. Jesse's eyes narrowed as he watched Rachel reach for Finn's hand just before they jumped. They surfaced and she immediately began squealing about how much fun that was, throwing her arms around Finn and asking to do it again. His eyes narrowed further as he watched them jump off together several more times. Each time, just before they'd jump, Rachel would always reach for his hand.

One other thing Jesse had learned from Broadway was this: your competition isn't always the person you think it is. He'd identified the Simpleton as his main competition and had planned accordingly. What he hadn't realized was that there was another, far more dangerous competitor. A competitor who'd stop at nothing and wouldn't hesitate to play dirty. And while he fully intended to win, he was clearly going to need to up his game. No, he'd definitely been mistaken; the Simpleton wasn't his main competition.

Rachel was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Sorry, all those people who wrote saying Jesse needed to go, he's not going anywhere at the moment. I think Giulia redeemed herself slightly, although she's not giving up her quest for the sex just yet.**_


	15. Exit, Stage Left

**_A/N: I changed the rating because well, "the sex" is being had by someone in this chapter. Not my area of writing expertise, but I gave it a whirl. As usual, Glee's not mine._**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Pete: I want Rosie to be happy. So, I've got to ask you a couple of questions. Do you know how long she keeps her hair in straight or in curly mode?<strong>_

_**Tad: What?**_

_**Pete: Or why her favorite necklace has a starfish clasp?**_

_**Tad: No.**_

_**Pete: Do you even know that she has six different smiles?**_

_**Tad: She has six smiles?**_

_**Pete: Yeah. One when something flat out makes her laugh. One when she's laughing out of politeness. But there's one when she makes plans. One when she makes fun of herself. One when she's uncomfortable. And one when...One when she's talking about her friends.**_

_**-Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!**_

* * *

><p>"So how do you think it went?" Quinn asked Brittany and Kurt, taking advantage of the fact that Rachel and Finn weren't there to talk about their favorite subject: Rachel and Finn. Jesse wasn't there yet either, which she hoped meant that he took the hint and went back to the United States. "<em>Grazie," <em>she added, taking the menu the waiter gave her as she sat down at the table.

"Knowing my brother, he probably found some way to screw it up even more," Kurt commented, gulping down his water and immediately signaling for more. He was starting to feel human again, shopping had worked wonders for his hangover, and he was actually looking forward to the sight of food. The pounding in his head had stopped and he was even able to give his patented once over when a fashion disaster walked into his line of sight.

His ability to give a once over was put to the test immediately, as a _very_ obvious case of dyed blonde hair appeared in his eye line. He eyed the owner of said dyed hair, in this case a young man about his own age, talking to one of the waiters. He was of average height, and his shaggy blond hair was styled to look like a member of a boy band. He turned at that moment, allowing Kurt to fully see his face. His eyes were a beautiful shade of green, but it was his mouth that really drew Kurt's notice. It was wide and full, reminding Kurt of the Joker from that Batman movie Finn loved so much. He was casually dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt with a plaid shirt over it, which ordinarily would send Kurt into convulsions if he wasn't so distracted by the dyed hair. The man stopped talking to the waiter, making a move to head back towards the kitchen.

"Badly dyed man hair two o'clock!" Kurt hissed to Quinn and Brittany, hoping they saw before he walked into the kitchen.

"Nuh uh, how do you know that's dyed?" Quinn asked. "He seems kind of cute to me."

"There's three things I pride myself on. One, my ability to spot trends in men's fashion. Two, my ability to tell it like it is. Three, my ability to know when it comes from a bottle. _That,_ Ladies, most definitely comes from a bottle," Kurt said smugly, sitting back in his chair, with the satisfied air of one who's confident in their analysis.

"He has a really big mouth, like a fish," Brittany commented, as the man in question headed back towards the kitchens. "Oh, here they come!" she added in an excited whisper.

Quinn and Kurt both looked where Brittany's eyes were fixed to see Rachel being led by Finn, his hand clearly on her lower back as he guided her to their table. Even from the distance of the table, it was clear to see that Rachel was looking up at him adoringly. Brittany breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Jesse was nowhere in sight.

"Hey guys!" Rachel said cheerfully, sitting in the seat Finn pulled out for her. "How was shopping?"

"It was fine. How was your morning?" Kurt asked, looking from one to the other, noticing that both had wet hair. "Did you guys go to the beach?"

"We took a boat tour of the island and we got to swim off of the boat," Rachel explained, sipping her water. "We even saw the Blue Grotto, which was amazing." She didn't add that it was even more amazing because she was _forced _to lie on top of Finn, whispering more _dump Jesse_ cookie logos in his ear.

"I wonder what Jesse did? I guess he got stuck with Giulia?" Quinn asked.

"Ugh…we got stuck with them. Jesse followed us and forced his way onto _our_ trip," Rachel said bitterly, not noticing the look Quinn, Kurt and Brittany exchanged at Rachel's use of the word _our_. "Fortunately, we managed to lose him when Giulia dragged him into a store on the way here. Hopefully, they get lost."

Rachel's wish went untrue, as Jesse chose that moment to come strolling into the restaurant, making a beeline for the table. "Rachel, I thought you heard me say wait for me," he inquired as he sat across from her, Giulia immediately grabbing the seat next to Finn.

Rachel shrugged. "Oh. I guess I didn't hear it."

Jesse ignored the smirks around the table as he took his wallet and phone out of his pocket, placing them next to his plate. Rachel rolled her eyes at the action, knowing that he'd removed his wallet and phone from his pockets simply because he was afraid that a producer would see him sitting with bad posture due to a wallet in his back pocket.

Resolving to ignore him, Rachel turned her attention the menu in front of her. "Oh look Finn! They have the grilled shrimp you like!"

Jesse's eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything, his phone started ringing. Realizing it was his wedding planner, he grabbed his phone and muttered a quick apology before he ran outside. Rachel watched him go, relief flooding through her at his leaving, ready to enjoy her lunch now. Unfortunately for her, Giulia was still at the table, doing her best to gain Finn's attention.

"We have _il vino,_ yes?" she purred, running her hand up Finn's arm and letting it linger on his muscle. Finn, who had no idea that she was talking about wine, looked down at her hand and simply moved his arm, turning to Rachel, prepared to talk to her about whatever she wanted.

"So Rach-"

Undaunted by his rebuff, Giulia tried a new tactic. "Finn, I buy the new clothes today. Maybe I wear for you after lunch?" Once again, she placed a hand on his muscles, this time to the annoyance of Finn _and_ Rachel.

"He's busy after lunch. We have a volleyball rematch against Brittany and Quinn," Rachel snapped, wishing that both Jesse and Giulia would go jump in the Mediterrean.

"Sorry," Finn added, pleased at how good Rachel's lie was. "Big rematch."

"I'm sure Jesse would _love_ to watch you model your clothes," Rachel said in a much sweeter tone. "He was just telling me before about how beautiful you looked in your bathing suit." She dropped her voice to a whisper, leaning across Finn. "I bet he'd like to have the sex too."

Giulia looked thoughtful as she considered this, her eyes following Jesse as he walked back into the restaurant.

"Good news, Rachel. The caterer has agreed to serve Rack of Lamb at the wedding," Jesse announced, sliding back into his seat, glancing curiously at the look on Giulia's face.

"That's nice. Who are you marrying?" Rachel asked, knowing full well what he was referring to, but in disbelief at how in denial he was.

Jesse stared at her. "Don't start, Rachel. You know who I'm marrying."

"Actually, I don't. All I know is that it's certainly not me." Rachel crossed her arms, waiting to see what his response would be.

"You're still with this, Rachy? I told you, it's just cold feet. Once we get back to New York, you'll be fine. I already made reservations on a flight tomorrow morning for us."

"Don't call me_ Rachy_," Rachel said through gritted teeth. Her voice got louder with her next statement. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you! I am _not_ marrying you!"

"Rachel, don't be silly. You're causing a scene," Jesse replied calmly, adjusting a piece of hair before sipping his water. "We can talk about this on the plane."

"No. We. Can't," Rachel answered, her voice gaining octaves with each word, earning the stares of nearby tables. "We can't talk about it on the plane because I will not be on that plane. Hopefully you will be, though."

"Rachel-"

"Is there a problem here?" a new voice cut in. The entire table turned to look at the owner of the new voice, standing just behind Quinn. It was the man Kurt had noticed before, the one with the dyed blonde hair and wide mouth. His mouth was even larger up close, his eyes a showing a mix of hazel and green. He was staring at Rachel, waiting for an answer.

"No, there's no problem. My ex-fiancée is just in denial," Rachel replied, her eyes flickering over to look at the blonde man quickly before returning to glare at Jesse.

"Well, as the owner of this restaurant, I'm going to have to ask you to keep it down. There are other patrons eating." He gestured to the other customers, who were still staring at the group.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again. My fiancée is just excited about the wedding," Jesse responded smoothly.

Rachel stood up, throwing her napkin on the table. "I'm _not _your fiancée!" she screamed before she ran out of the restaurant.

Finn started to stand, but Quinn quickly stood up. "I'll go," she announced. "We'll meet you back at the hotel," she called over her shoulder, hurrying after Rachel.

"She's a little dramatic isn't she?" the owner commented.

"You have no idea," Jesse replied, rolling his eyes as he threw his own linen napkin on the table. "Can I offer you an autograph as compensation for the trouble?"

"Can you blame her, Dude? Why can't you just accept that she doesn't want to marry you?" Finn cried, storming out of the restaurant in a manner that would have made Rachel proud.

"Seems to me like she should be marrying him," the owner observed, gesturing to Finn's retreating back.

"That's what I said," Brittany squealed. "Even a complete stranger can see it!"

"Are you really the owner? Dressed like that?" Kurt asked, eyeing his casual attire. "Shouldn't you be wearing a suit or something? Maybe something double breasted?"

"My father's the actual owner. We own several restaurants in Italy, so he sent me over to check on them. Normally he comes, but he couldn't this month, so I came instead. He usually wears a suit, now that I think about it." The Blonde looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I like your mouth. You look like the singing fish my husband has," Brittany announced.

"Uh, right. Just try to keep it down, ok?" He walked off, heading back towards the kitchens.

Kurt watched him go, quickly turning to Brittany. "I was right. _Totally_ dyed."

"As much as I'd like to eat lunch with you, my adoring public, I've got to make the final arrangements for the wedding," Jesse announced, grabbing his cell phone and walking out of the restaurant, Giulia right behind him.

"Well Brits, would you look at this?" Kurt smirked, moving the linen napkin Jesse had carelessly thrown on the table and holding up Jesse's forgotten wallet. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You have to go to the bathroom too?" Brittany asked, impressed.

"Uh, no. I'm thinking that Jesse St. James, Broadway star, is insisting that he buy us lunch. Shall we order the most expensive things?" Kurt responded, plucking Jesse's VISA card out of his wallet, an evil grin gracing his face as he saw Brittany light up in understanding. He flagged down the waiter, quickly ordering all of the most expensive things for himself and Brittany.

The waiter had just started to walk away when Kurt called him back. "Oh, and waiter? As an apology for causing a scene, we'd like to order a bottle of wine and the grilled shrimp for everyone in the restaurant. You can just charge it all to this card." He handed the waiter Jesse's credit card, with a satisfied smirk. "I feel like George Clooney!" he whispered to Brittany.

He held up his glass in a toast to Brittany, who did the same. "To Jesse St. Sucks! May we max out his card!"

* * *

><p>Quinn managed to catch up to Rachel just as she jumped onto the ferry back to the mainland. "Rachel! Wait!"<p>

Rachel slowed to a stop, throwing herself into one of the seats. "He's ruining _everything._ How am I supposed to find Sam with him around?" She flung her arms around Quinn, needing to unburden herself.

"Does he know about Sam?" Quinn asked, stroking Rachel's hair. "Or the fake Sams?"

In spite of herself, Rachel chuckled as she leaned her head on Quinn's shoulder. "No. I never told him about any of that stuff. I tried to talk to him about having the moment once, and he accused me of being out of touch with reality."

"Did you tell Finn?"

"Of course. Although I didn't tell him about Brittany's fake Sam, but only because I didn't want to see his smug face when he said I told you so. He kept insisting I wasn't attracted to that fake Sam."

"Well, you weren't, were you?" Quinn asked, knowing the answer perfectly well.

"No," Rachel admitted. "I just hate when he reads me like that."

"What happened today?"

"He _spied _on me. Finn and I were going on a boat tour of the island, just the two of us. Jesse shows up with your cousin and that whore in tow, and the next thing I know, we're all on a boat together."

"And what was that like?"

"Pure Hell. Thank God Finn was there, or else I probably would have thrown Jesse overboard. He sat there acting better than everyone. When Giulia decided to go topless, he actually said it was 'fine for someone like her' but not ok for me. He tried to forbid me from doing it, like he owns me!"

"Wait. Giulia took off her clothes and then you did?" Quinn asked; trying to understand what had happened.

"Finn and I were conversing at the front of the boat when Giulia announced she wanted to sunbathe. Next thing I know, that whore is straddling Finn, trying to get his shirt off."

"I'm sure he didn't like that," Quinn observed, waiting to see what Rachel said about it.

"He didn't. I could tell he was horrified when he looked over at me. So she sat across from Finn and simply took her bikini top off, making sure that he saw," Rachel added bitterly, remembering his reaction.

"So you got jealous that Finn was looking at her and took off your own top?" Quinn guessed.

"I was _not_ jealous. The whore tried to unhook my bathing suit, telling me I needed to have the fun, and that's when Jesse tried to forbid me. So I just turned my back on him and did it," Rachel said proudly. "Jesse was furious."

"How did you feel about it?" Quinn replied, feeling more like a therapist every minute.

"At first I was embarrassed, since Giulia's walking around with two watermelons on her chest but once I talked to Finn, I felt better and kept it off." She smiled, remembering his words. "Oh! And we got to see the Blue Grotto and jump off the side of the boat!"

"Really? What did he say to make you feel better?" Quinn asked curiously, noticing the smile on Rachel's face.

"Nothing." Rachel bit her lip, looking down at the floor as a blush suffused over her face. She wanted to keep the beauty of the moment to herself.

"Rachel, you're blushing," Quinn teased. "What did he say?"

"That I'm beautiful, that my breasts are beautiful, that every part of me is beautiful," Rachel said quietly. "I searched his face for his usual tells of a lie, but I couldn't see one. How could he think that? My nose is too large and I'm tiny."

"Oh, Rachel, surely Jesse's told you how beautiful you are?" Quinn hugged her, offering support.

"No. Jesse always said I had a unique look for Broadway; that my nose was Barbra like, and being told I'm beautiful by my fathers doesn't count."

"I know you don't want to hear me or Brittany say it, but did you ever think there's a reason for that?"

"For what?" Curious, Rachel picked her head off Quinn's shoulder expectantly.

"For everything. For the fact that in two years you never told Jesse any of this, but you've known Finn for less than a week and you've told him your life story. For the fact that you two can read each other like a book or that I've _never_ seen you look at Jesse the way I see you look at him?" She held up a hand to stop Rachel from protesting. "And don't tell me you hate him or tolerate him because we both know that you don't."

"I-" Rachel began, ready to state the reasons why she did in fact hate Finn.

"_No_. You can tell me you hate him till you're blue in the face, but I know you don't, and deep down, you know you don't. If you did hate him as much as you claim to, there's _no way_ you'd be kissing him like the way I saw you kissing him by the pool. I know what I saw," Quinn said firmly.

Rachel looked down at her feet. "I know you think that Finn is Sam."

"I do."

"Why would the gypsy and the cookie say the name Sam Evans then?" Rachel asked doubtfully.

"I don't know, but I can tell you that the person you think you're going to end up with isn't always the one you actually marry. I never in a million years thought I'd marry a man who thinks a _Mohawk_ is an amazing haircut, but Fate determined that he was for me."

Rachel laughed. "I remember the day I first saw his Mohawk. It was my eighth birthday party and I told him he looked liked a skunk."

Quinn nudged Rachel in her side. "Are you saying Fate lead me to marry a skunk?"

"Hey, he started it. He'd told me he could see my underwear in the reflection of my Mary Janes. Or maybe I called him a skunk first, I don't remember. What I do remember is that that was the day this all started."

"The day that lead you to here," Quinn surmised.

"The day that led me to here." Rachel put her head in her hands. "What am I going to do? How come Nana and everyone get their moment and I don't?"

"I think you know what to do. I also think you know that you _did_ have your moment."

Rachel didn't answer, lost in her thoughts. Sam Evans was somewhere nearby, so she would have thought that she'd have run into him by now. They could have spent the day together, jumping off boats and whispering secrets to each other, just like she and Finn had done.

She hadn't had her moment. She couldn't of. Finn wasn't Sam, despite what Brittany or Quinn thought. What she needed was another, unbiased opinion. Someone knowlegeable in the ways of soul mates. She smiled, suddenly knowing who to call. She willed the boat to go faster, anxious to get back to the hotel.

She had a phone call to make.

* * *

><p>Storming out of the restaurant hadn't been his best idea, Finn thought as he wandered around the town aimlessly. Part of him had hoped that he'd run into Rachel, but he had no clue where she went, hence the wandering. He hated what Jesse had done at the restaurant; driving Rachel to the point of anger and making her run out and he'd give anything to make it better. Why couldn't the dude just accept that it was over? She clearly wanted nothing to do with him, the guy must have inhaled a little too much hair spray or whatever he used in his hair.<p>

His mind was still reeling from the events of the morning. Never in a million years would he have thought he be lying next to a topless Rachel, or that he'd get to stare at her topless. He hadn't been lying when he told her she was beautiful. Yeah, Giulia's boobs were huge and amazing, but they totally paled compared to Rachel's. They fit her tiny body perfectly, and he knew they fit his hand even better, almost as if they were meant for him to touch. He'd had to summon the mailman constantly when she was topless next to him, but if she'd noticed him talking to himself, she hadn't let on. It wasn't just her boobs that made her so great. He liked the way she put thought into her answers, no matter how stupid the question was, and he really liked the way her voice could instantly calm him. Her hand fit perfectly into his, and he loved how her face just lit up when she talked about Broadway, her smile growing even wider.

He kicked a stray rock, cursing his luck. He knew he'd dodged a huge bullet when she wasn't attracted to Sam Evans at the club, which made his job of getting Rachel easier, until Jesse St. Jackass showed up. He felt like he had an edge over him, since Rachel was adamant about losing the douche, but with his rotten luck, she'd change her mind and go back to the US with him. He kicked another rock forcefully, wishing it was Jesse's face. He watched the rock hit the doorway of a building, his eyes lighting up when he realized it was a _Tabbacaio._ He grinned and hurried into the store, suddenly knowing just how to cheer Rachel up.

He made a beeline for the candy section, anxiously searching for _I Puffi_. It was a small gesture, but one that was certain to put a smile on her face, something he desperately wanted. He'd just grabbed the bag of Smurfs when he heard a familiar voice nearby. Not wanting to be seen in case Jesse –or worse, Giulia- was there too, he ducked down behind a shelf, pretending to tie his shoe. He could just make out Kurt's shoes just on the other side of a postcard rack, wondering who was with him.

"How about this one?" Kurt asked; holding up a postcard of a beach, not quite believing that he was actually looking at postcards for Brittany to hang in Lord Tubbington's cat chalet.

Brittany peered at it. "No, Lord Tubbington doesn't like water."

"Ok, how about this? It's food," Kurt suggested, plucking a postcard of the various types of Italian pasta off the rack and handing it to Brittany.

"He can't see that! Pasta is carbs! He's on Atkins, remember? I don't want him to fall off the wagon like last time," Brittany cried, examining the rack. She hemmed and hawed over the various cards, while Kurt stood there impatiently.

"I hope Rachel's ok," Brittany ventured as she continued perusing the cards. "I wish Jesse would just leave so she can stop being in denial about her feelings."

"I'm sure Quinn found her," Kurt assured Brittany. "They're probably back at the hotel by the pool having a drink and talking about Jesse's obvious knockoff Alexander McQueen scarf."

"I hope so," Brittany said worriedly. "I don't know how much more of this she can take. First Finn was Sam then he wasn't but it turns out he _is_, then the Sam from the club that I hired combined with Jesse showing up and her being in denial, is really messing with her."

"That was really clever, hiring that fake Sam," Kurt praised. "He was awful."

"I know!" Brittany exclaimed, spinning the postcard rack. "Too bad Rachel found out about it. I know her, she'll still be insisting on finding the real Sam, even though she's already found Sam." She eyed the rack critically. "I don't see any I like, let's go."

Finn listened in shock as Kurt and Brittany's voices faded away, their conversation swimming in his head. Slowly, he stood up, clutching the bag of Smurfs in his hand.

_That was really clever, hiring that fake Sam._

_Too bad Rachel found out about it. _

The Sam from the club wasn't the real Sam. Rachel had been duped again. He smirked, knowing that that was the reason why Rachel had been so defensive about him by the pool. She hadn't wanted to admit that he was right, that she wasn't attracted to him at all because he _wasn't_ Sam.

His smirk turned to a frown when he remembered something else Brittany had said.

_I know her, she'll still be insisting on finding the real Sam._

That meant the real Sam was still out there and Rachel would be determined to find him, which meant he had no chance again.

Dejectedly, he walked out of the store, not even noticing when the Smurfs fell out of his hand.

* * *

><p>Rachel twisted the phone cord around her finger, as she listened to the phone ring, praying someone would answer. Relief flowed through her when she heard someone pick up the phone and she flopped on the bed, ready to talk.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hi Nana," Rachel said in a quiet voice.

"Rachel!" Nana exclaimed. "How are you doing?" she added worriedly.

"I'm fine. It was the right thing to do. He's not The One. I'll give you your money back."

"Never mind that. Is that why you're in Italy, to avoid the wedding?"

"No. Nana, I found_ him._"

"Who?"

"_Sam."_

"Who?" Nana asked again.

"Sam. Sam Evans. Remember the Gypsy at my eighth birthday party who told me my Soul Mate's name? And then the Fortune Cookie? Both said the same thing. Sam Evans."

"You…you actually found him?" Nana's voice held a note of incredulity. "How?"

"Brittany and I were dropping Artie off at the airport and we heard his name announced as a passenger on a flight to Italy. Brittany insisted we see him, and we tried, but just missed him. So we got on the next flight to Italy with Quinn. That's why we're really here."

"And you met him? What's he like?"

"That's the thing. I keep missing him. I thought I had my moment when Finn stepped out of the elevator but it wasn't Sam, so it doesn't count. Brittany says it was _the Moment,_ but it couldn't be."

"Finn? Who's Finn?"

"Oh, he's Sam #1," Rachel replied, as if that explained it all.

"There's more than one?" Nana asked; the confusion evident in her voice.

"Brittany thought Finn was Sam when she saw me staring at him. Actually, I did too, especially when we kissed, but he's not Sam even though Brittany says he is. Sam #2 was this awful guy who works with Artie. Brittany got him to pretend to be Sam."

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she likes Finn and thinks I should be with him. Quinn does too. She keeps talking about the chemistry between me and Finn."

"Oh. Have you found the real Sam yet?"

"Hmm? No. I haven't had time to look. The five of us just got to Amalfi yesterday."

"Five of you? I didn't realize Noah and Beth were there too."

"No. Me, Brits, Quinn, Finn and Kurt," Rachel explained, checking the names off on her fingers. "Five."

"Kurt? Who's Kurt?" Nana's voice was growing more and more bewildered with each statement that came out of Rachel's mouth.

"He's Finn's brother. Actually, it's his step-brother. Their parents got married when Finn and Kurt were in high school. They weren't thrilled about it at first though. Well, Kurt was, but only because he had a crush on Finn, but they got over that. Finn says-"

"Why are they traveling with you?"

"Quinn invited them. She and Brittany go shopping with Kurt a lot. I wish you could see what I see, Nana! It's amazing. Finn drew a bunch of pictures of the coast and he gave me one, so you can see what I'm talking about. So gorgeous."

"Sounds lovely," Nana replied, wondering if Rachel was referring to the Italian landscape or Finn.

"It is. Finn's a high school art teacher, you know. He's _very_ talented. He drew a portrait of me yesterday that is _amazing_ and his caricature that he did for Brits was brilliant," she gushed. "I could tell Jesse didn't think so though," she added, a touch of bitterness creeping into her voice.

"_Jesse's_ there?" Nana exclaimed. "Why?"

"He showed up last night to convince me that I'm having cold feet about the wedding. I tried to tell him that it's so much more than that, but as usual, he only hears himself."

"You spoke to him?"

"He was waiting in my room when we came back from the club last night. I even gave him the ring back, but he _still_ insists I've got cold feet. We had plans to go to Capri today and he _ruined_ it by coming along. He barged his way onto a boat trip I taking with Finn."

"_Ah_, I see." Nana's voiced piqued at the mention of Finn yet again.

"I know, right? So rude," Rachel responded, completely misunderstanding the inflection in Nana's voice. "And to make it worse, he brings Giulia."

"And she is?"

"She's this Platinum blonde _whore_ who's after Finn," she spat out. "She looks like a stripper, Nana. She's always asking Finn to have 'the sex,' but he wants nothing to do with her. She hasn't realized yet that she's _not_ his type. He doesn't like plastic girls."

"I bet he likes brunettes," Nana said slyly, testing her theory out.

"Well, his last two girlfriends were brunettes, but his high school girlfriend was blonde, so you're probably right," Rachel replied seriously, giving the matter a lot of thought.

"So what are you going to do about Jesse?"

"I don't know. I tried to make him see, but he just thinks it's cold feet. It's _not._"

"And you're sure it's not?"

"I've never been more sure of anything," Rachel said firmly. "You once told me and Noah that when we found our other half it would be like meeting an old friend or like coming home. I asked Noah and Quinn when they knew they'd found their other half and they both said the same thing as you. Each recognized _something_ in the other immediately. I didn't, and neither did Jesse. I tried to talk to Jesse about it afterwards and he accused me of living in a fairy tale, asking if I was five years old. If Jesse was truly the one for me, shouldn't I have recognized something in him?" She twisted a lock of hair around her finger. "God, Nana, like I told Finn, I was more sure of my wedding dress than Jesse, when it should be the other way around."

"Oh, Rachel," Nana said softly.

"I…I had to convince myself to say yes," she finally admitted in a small voice. It was the first time she'd said it aloud, to anyone other than Finn. "The arrival of Sam Evans was a sign." She bit her lip, waiting to see what Nana said.

"Rachel, why didn't you say something?"

"I don't know. We were together for two years, so it was expected, you know? The bridal consultant at Vera Wang said that finding a wedding dress is like finding your soul mate. When you see it, you just know. But I didn't. _I didn't know._ I think I just stayed with Jesse, content to be with someone, rather than be alone and continue my search for a soul mate. I was settling Nana, and I refuse to settle. I want more. Everyone had that moment that I never had. I _want_ that moment."

"Rachel, you can't compare relationships. Each one is different."

"That's what Finn said, too," Rachel admitted. "He said it would make me crazy."

"He sounds like a smart guy."

"Finn's very insightful. He said it's easier for the dumper to get over the relationship because it usually means they found someone else. He got dumped a year ago by this awful girl and ever since then he's been single, not wanting to make a mistake like her again." A smile found its way onto her mouth for a second. "Jesse called him a Simpleton and said he'd make a good friend for Brittany," Rachel added bitterly. "He's so pompous."

She was quiet for a moment, before asking the question that had been bothering her ever since her talk with Quinn. "Nana? Do you think it's possible to miss your destiny?"

"Strawberry, I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you this. Destiny can be a fickle thing. Sometimes what you think is your destiny is merely a stepping stone to something else. Don't miss out on what destiny really has for you because you're blinded by what you _think_ is your destiny."

"So you think I should stay with Jesse? Is that what you're saying?"

"Not at all. I'm just saying that sometimes you set out to find what you think you want and end up finding something so much better," Nana replied cryptically. "It's called Serendipity."

"Serendipity?"

"Mmmhmm. Rachel, remember the story of how Grandpa and I met?"

"Of course! You had _The Moment _across a crowded dance floor and neither of you were supposed to be there."

Nana laughed. "That's right, we did have _The Moment_. But there's another part of the story that I never told you."

"Really? What?" Rachel asked, sitting up in bed.

"For the better part of a year, I was obsessed with Norman Michaels. He was a year older than me and _so_ dreamy. He was the captain of the baseball team and he looked like a movie star. I was convinced that we were going to get married, even if he didn't know who I was. I went to every baseball game and I hung out with my friend Margaret at the ice cream shop where he worked, waiting for the moment he spoke to me, because I _knew_ we were meant to be. I followed him _everywhere_. I'd planned out our whole life; I was just waiting for him to take notice. That's the reason I started going to my school's once a month dances, because I knew he'd be there. At the December dance, he actually spoke to me, asking me to dance. I was thrilled, believing that my diligence had finally paid off. But that January, he enlisted and was shipped out immediately. I was heartbroken, convinced my life was over. I refused to go to the February dance, knowing that Norman wouldn't be there. Margaret tried everything to get me out of my funk, insisting I accompany her to the movies or dance class, but the only thing I wanted to do was help out at the Red Cross, positive I'd hear some news of Norman there. Margaret felt sure she knew what was best for me and started introducing me to boys that she knew, despite the fact that I had no interest unless they were Norman. Which was why she showed up that Saturday in March, determined to introduce me to her friend Alan at that night's dance."

"So you thought you were meant to be with Norman, but Destiny planned on you meeting Grandpa that night," Rachel said slowly, her mind trying to process this new development in the story.

"Exactly. I'd planned on marrying Norman, but Destiny led me to Grandpa." Nana replied. "Margaret never liked Norman. She always felt that there was someone else out there for me. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"I think so," Rachel said, her brow furrowed in thought. "Norman was just the means used to get you to go to those dances and to Grandpa. You probably wondered what you ever saw in Norman when he came home, right?"

"He never came home," Nana said quietly. "He died that July."

"Oh." Rachel was quiet for a moment, letting her brain absorb Nana's words.

Truthfully, Nana and Margaret sounded a lot like her and Brittany. Margaret had insisted that there was something better for Nana out there, the same way Brittany kept insisting that Sam was a means to an end. Margaret had been right, but was Brittany? And if so, what was he a means to?

"Sounds like you have some thinking to do," Nana said softly.

"I think so," Rachel admitted. "And a fiancée to get rid of."

"And Rachel, one last thing. Whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Promise me you'll be open to the possibility of the unexpected. Don't ignore what's right in front of you."

"I promise." Rachel hung up the phone, deep in thought, Nana's words running through her head, unaware that 4500 miles away, Nana was doing the same thing, wondering when Rachel was going to realize she'd achieved Serendipity.

* * *

><p>"There you are!" Brittany cried as she flung open the door to Kurt's room in answer to Finn's knock. "We were wondering where you went."<p>

"I've been walking around," Finn said listlessly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You won't believe what we did!" Brittany chirped, settling on the floor and rummaging through her bag.

"Let me guess. Shopping?"

"Actually no." Kurt came out of the bathroom just in time to hear Finn's sarcastic response. He knew immediately that something was off about Finn, who was still sitting slumped over on his bed. "After you left the restaurant, Jesse St. Sucks did too, but he forgot to take his wallet. What would you say if I told you that Brittany and I may have accidentally ordered the most expensive things on the menu and charged it to his card?"

Finn grinned for the first time since he'd overheard their conversation earlier. "I'd say you two are awesome."

"But it doesn't end there, dear brother. We may have also charged a bottle of wine and plates of grilled shrimp for every patron in the restaurant," Kurt replied, smirking at the thought of the bill.

"The bill was fifteen hundred Euro," Brittany added happily.

"Dude! That's like..." Finn trailed off, his lack of math skills getting the better of him.

"Over two thousand dollars," Kurt supplied. "Two thousand, one hundred twenty-five dollars and fifty cents, to be exact."

"It gets better. I threw the wallet under the table so one will find it until late tonight," Brittany added.

"You two _rock_," Finn decided, giving each a high five.

"We really do. As a reward, we're going with Quinn to the hotel spa for the full treatment," Kurt said happily.

"And look! We got you a present!" Brittany offered. "On the way home, we saw a Gay Pride rally going on, so we stopped, and they were handing these out. I brought one back for you." She held out her hand, revealing a rainbow striped package with the words "Live and Let Love" stamped on it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Finn asked, looking at Kurt, who simply nodded, rolling his eyes.

"It's a condom!" Brittany exclaimed happily, placing it in his hand.

"Uh, thanks?"

"No problem. Maybe you can show it to Rachel later," she added slyly.

"Right." Blushing, he placed the condom in his pocket, thinking that with Sam still unknown, there was no way he was going to be using a condom in front of Rachel anytime soon.

"You never know," Brittany said, winking. "I could tell you what she likes, if you want."

"Eww. Can we not talk about this?" Kurt asked, disgusted.

"Yeah, uh, I just came to make sure you guys were back. I'm going to do some drawings." Despite the fact that he'd _really_ like to take Brittany up on her offer, he hightailed it out of the room. Afterall, Brittany should be telling Sam that, not him.

No, he definitely didn't need to know that information. He decided to focus on his art and keep his distance from Rachel, which should be easy to do. He'd simply find a corner and draw away his problems. No Rachel or thoughts of Rachel, just him and his drawings.

Even he knew that was a lie.

* * *

><p>Finn stared at the setting sun, trying to get the different hues just right. He'd been forced to leave his paints at home, since Kurt had stuck clothes in his suitcase and was afraid of the paint leaking onto his clothing, but he had managed to bring his pastels, so for now he was doing everything in pastels and once he got home, he'd create the paintings. It felt good to be out here alone, working with his hands. It stopped him from thinking about everything. Rachel, Sam, Rachel's voice, Jesse, Rachel's smoking body, that kiss, Rachel being topless. But mostly Rachel.<p>

"More caricatures?"

Finn jumped as the unpleasant voice of Jesse St. James, or as Kurt had dubbed him, Jesse St. Sucks, filled the air behind him, causing the pastel in his hand to veer off course, effectively ruining his picture. He sighed, as he put down the pastel. "No. It's an oil pastel."

"Landscape? How quaint," Jesse commented, peering over Finn's shoulder. "You screwed up a line, though. Right there." He pointed to the line jutting across the page, the one caused by his unwelcome interruption.

Finn eyed Jesse as he sat next to him, staring out to sea. He pulled out a fresh piece of paper, ready to create a new landscape, determine to ignore the douche on his left.

Jesse watched with feigned interest as Finn selected a pastel and began drawing. "It must be nice to be an artist," he observed.

"Why's that?" Finn asked, not particularly caring why he thought that.

"Well for one thing, you're always dirty and no one thinks anything of it." His eyes trailed down to Finn's hands, which were covered with smudges of color. "Me, I have to make sure I'm immaculate at all times. You never know when TMZ might pop up."

"That a big concern for you?" Finn glanced at Jesse out of the corner of his eye. He'd never seen a Broadway star on TMZ. Kurt watched TMZ religiously, and when they'd both lived at home, there'd been some epic battles over whether the TV should be tuned to TMZ or sports. Eventually they'd reached a compromise, which meant that Finn had seen his fair share of TMZ.

"You have no idea," Jesse replied, not noticing the sarcasm in Finn's voice. "I've tried to prepare Rachel for it, but until you've played a lead, they just aren't interested in you. If she doesn't take my advice about her career, she'll never get on TMZ and be happy."

"I think singing itself makes her happy," Finn commented, the urge to toss Jesse off the balcony growing stronger with every word Jesse uttered.

"You would think that. You don't understand, you simply don't have talent like I do, which comes with a great amount of pressure. You can draw your little pictures and if you don't like it, you can either erase it or rip it up. I have to be perfect, night after night, or hundreds of people; tourists, lovers on a first date and even government officials, will leave the theater disappointed."

"I think Rachel is incredibly talented and she doesn't seem to feel the pressures," Finn observed.

"That's because she's never had a leading role and she's simply not as talented as I am. When your talent is as great as mine, it's a tremendous amount of pressure."

Finn resisted the urge to make a gagging motion with his hand. This guy was too much. He could deal with the insults directed at him, being an artist on the football team had prepared him for that, but he wouldn't stand for Rachel being insulted. Slowly, he placed his pastel back in the box. "Did you ever think that your own attitude might have contributed to driving her away?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Rachel knows that I'm offering constructive criticism," Jesse replied, waving a hand dismissively at him.

"Maybe instead of criticism, she'd prefer to be supported and encouraged."

"Rachel knows I support her," Jesse replied coolly.

"Does she? It seems to me if she did, you'd still be engaged."

"Look, why don't you go back to your paint by numbers and stop sticking your gigantic body where it doesn't belong? My relationship with Rachel is perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, she'll be leaving with me today."

Finn scoffed. "I highly doubt that. She seems pretty set on _not_ marrying you."

"I assure you it's a mere case of stage fright. I've never had the misfortune of experiencing it, but I've seen it enough. It happens all the time. Once I get her home, she'll be fine."

"Do you even know her at _all_?" Finn questioned, the last strand of his patience and willpower melting away.

"Of course I know her. She's _my _fiancée," Jesse snapped, adjusting the scarf around his neck, not wanting to get a chill. His agent had called and rehearsals for _The Music Man_ were starting soon after the wedding.

"Obviously you _don't_," Finn exploded. "If you knew her at all, you'd know that your presence here is causing her stress and anger, since she's constantly biting her lip and twirling her hair around her finger, something she does when she's upset. You'd be able to tell with one look in her eyes that she's feeling conflicted. And you'd also know that she wanted a private proposal, not the full blown one you did or even that she thinks yellow gummi bears are the best, even though everyone knows that the red ones totally are, but she's so competitive and stubborn that she's got to argue with you for forty five minutes about _why_ yellow ones are better."

Jesse stared at him in irritation. "Seriously? You're talking to me about gummi bears?"

"Dude, this is why she called off her wedding. I'm trying to tell you about Rachel and how awesome she is and all you got out of that was gummi bears. _You. Don't. Listen. _She wants to be heard, and the only people that seem to listen to her are Quinn, Brittany, my brother Kurt and me, while the only thing you're doing is ignoring what she wants. You're just doing what you think is best for her, when it isn't; it's really what's best for _you_ and your career. I've been around guys like you my whole life, jocks that think that all they need is someone pretty on their arm to make them look good to everyone else. They forget that the person on their arm has feelings, desires, passions and opinions that they want to have recognized, but all they are to the guy is just a pretty accessory. The way I've seen you talk and treat Rachel makes her no more important to you than those scarves you seem so found of wearing."

Finn sat there and studied Jesse hoping that what he said sunk in. Seeing that it hadn't, he quietly continued.

"I really like Rachel, but I don't try to make her into something she doesn't want to be or make her do something she doesn't want to do. She's looking for her soul mate Sam, and am I trying to stop her? No. I'm supporting her even though it's going to tear me up inside when she truly finds him because I know it means I won't get to spend any more time with her. But I'm doing it because it makes _her_ happy."

Jesse stared at him, speechless. He managed to recover his ability to speak just as Finn began to gather up all his supplies. "I think you've inhaled a little too much paint, _dude._ Let me put this in terms you can understand. This isn't the town square dance being held in Farmer John's barn. We're not going to go around switching partners. Get this through your paint fume ladled brain. Rachel is _mine_ and she's coming home with me."

Finn finished gathering up all his supplies and stood up. "Get this through _your_ head. Rachel is an incredibly beautiful, amazing and talented woman who could do so much better than a douchebag wearing an Alexander McQueen knockoff scarf. You don't deserve her." He clapped Jesse on the back and walked out, leaving a speechless Jesse in his wake.

The fact that Jesse now had a pastel replica of Finn's hand on his back just made it that much sweeter.

* * *

><p>"Has anyone seen Finn?" Rachel asked, coming into the spa area, where Kurt, Brittany and Quinn were all receiving facials. Rachel walked over to Kurt, lifting up one of the cucumber slices on his eyes, waiting for an answer. She hadn't seen him at all since she'd got back to the hotel, which worried her, especially since Giulia was nowhere to be found either.<p>

"Last I saw, he was moping around in my room. Replace that cucumber, please," Kurt directed, unable to do so himself, since he was wrapped in seaweed wrap.

"Try the pool area or the balcony," Quinn offered. "Maybe he's drawing."

"I already tried those. I can't find him," Rachel cried, beginning to panic. "I got off the phone with Nana and wanted to tell him something, but I can't find him."

"I'm sure he's fine, Rachel," Brittany said soothingly. "He seemed happy when I gave him his present."

"The only person I could find was Jesse, who's going off on the phone about a missing wallet. Giulia's not around either," Rachel stated worriedly. "What if she finally got to Finn? She wants to have the sex with him so bad!"

"And what's it to you, if he is having sex with her?" Brittany asked. "You hate him, he can do what he wants. Besides, Giulia's in the steam room."

The relief that flowed through Rachel was monumental. Images of Finn and Giulia together had been flooding her brain. Not that she was jealous, but as his friend, she certainly didn't want him to get a sexually transmitted disease or anything.

As if by magic, Giulia appeared, clad in nothing but a towel. "Ah, Rachele! You join, yes?"

"No, I'm looking for Finn. Have you seen him?" Rachel asked impatiently.

"Si, I see him talking to Jesse." Giulia dropped her towel, to the embarassment of everyone in the room except her, climbing into the mud bath that had been prepared for her.

"Talking to Jesse?" Rachel repeated nervously. "What about?"

"Ah, the mud, is nice, yes?" Giulia stretched luxuriously in the mud, satisfied with herself.

"Giulia, what were they talking about?" Rachel snapped her fingers in the air, trying to get her back on track.

"You."

"Me? What did they say? Tell me everything." Rachel demanded, noticing that Brittany, Quinn, and Kurt had all tilted their cucumber covered eyes towards the duo as best they could.

"I go find Finn before, and Luca tell me he on the balcony. So I go, but when I get there, Jesse, he is there talking to Finn while he draws the pictures. The hands of Finn are _magnifico, _yes? I think to myself, he need to show me what he can do to me with those hands, but he busy talking to Jesse. They no see me, so I hide behind plant and listen."

"And?"

"Jesse, he say you marry him and go home with him, but Finn say no, you no want that. He tell Jesse how you want to be heard and how you are amazing, beautiful and talented. He tell Jesse all about you, but Jesse, he no understand. That why I no have the sex with him. He no understand women. Finn, I have the sex with, but he no want me. I think he want only to have the sex with you, Rachele." She smiled sadly at Rachel.

Rachel, her mouth dropping open as Giulia talked, impulsively leaned into the mud bath and hugged Giulia. "Thank you. I'm sorry I called you a whore."

Covered in mud, she ran out of the room to find Finn, hearing a confused Giulia behind her ask, "Whore? What it mean, whore?"

* * *

><p>Unfortunately for Rachel, the first person she ran into was Jesse.<p>

"This country is ridiculous. I lost my wallet and no one can help me find it! I've been on the phone with VISA trying to cancel my cards, but there's already been over two thousand dollars worth of charges on it that I'm responsible for! Are you packed? I changed our flights to tonight. We're leaving now." He indicated the bag at his feet. "Why are you covered in mud? Go change, you look poor."

"No, because I'm not marrying you, so good bye," Rachel said impatiently, anxious to get back to finding Finn. "I have to go, I'm looking for someone."

Jesse grabbed her arm. "That's right, I heard something about a soul mate search."

"Yes, and you're not it."

"I suppose _Finn _is? Have you been drinking the water here? Is the water even safe here? Because I think it's made you a little loopy," he said snidely, grabbing her arm.

"I've never been more clear headed in all my life. Yes, I have been searching for my soul mate, the one who makes me feel like I'm home, who will support me, not criticize me like you do," Rachel responded, removing her arm from his grasp. "And as for Finn, he's kind, considerate, and very talented. He'd never put me down like you do. He listens when I talk and holds me when I'm sad or afraid, something you've never done. He's not constantly thinking about his image and he does what makes him or the people around him happy. He knows me better than you ever did."

Jesse stared at her. "I don't believe it. You're in love with the Simpleton, aren't you? _He's_ your soul mate?"

"It's none of your business, but my soul mate is named Sam. We. Are. Done."

"I can't believe you went and fell in love with some backwoods hick. Can't you see he's not like us? He belongs on a farm, not in New York."

Rachel slapped Jesse as hard as she could. "How dare you say that about Finn? Since you've gotten here, all you've done is judge. You don't bother getting to know people, you just form your opinion and that's it."

Jesse's eyes narrowed. "Don't think you can come crawling back to me in New York, once you don't find your soul mate or get sick of square dances. I won't take you back."

"That's good because I won't be coming back to you." Quickly, she turned to go, but turned around once more. "Oh, and Jesse? Even though I've never had a lead in a Broadway play, even I know that this is the moment in a play when the Antagonist exits Stage Left. Why don't you show me, maybe I can learn from it." She pointed to the door.

Without another word, Jesse grabbed his bag and exited, never looking back.

Not that it mattered, since Rachel had already exited stage right, ready to resume her quest to find Finn.

* * *

><p>To her relief, Rachel finally found Finn sitting alone on the darkened beach. Silently, she sat down next to him, slipping off her sandals and placing them next to his, looking out onto the water. "Hey."<p>

"What are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen you all day, so I wanted to make sure you were ok," Rachel replied, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. She left her hand in his as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Finn repeated, desperately trying to ignore the feeling of her head on his shoulder. "Is that mud on you?" His hand automatically moved to wipe some of it off of her.

"I told you, I wanted to make sure you were ok." She picked up her head for a moment to look at him in surprise before replacing her head back on his shoulder. "And I leaned into a mud bath, so yes, it is mud."

"That's not what I mean." He shook his hand free from Rachel and stood up, walking closer towards the waves crashing lazily on the shore.

Rachel followed, confused by his words. She placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Then what do you mean?"

"Why are you here with me? Shouldn't you be out looking for the real Sam?" he asked quietly.

"What?"

"You heard me. I know all about the fake Sam Brittany hired. That means that the real Sam is still out there. Your soul mate."

"Finn-" Rachel started, her hand not moving from his arm.

"No. As much as I want you here, you shouldn't be. I'm not Sam, remember?" Finn said bitterly, removing her hand from his arm. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "The amount of relief I felt when you weren't attracted to Jewfro was _insane_ because I thought it meant I had a chance_._ That kiss last night is all I can think of. And now I have to think of you kissing the real Sam like that."

"Do you think this is easy for me? I've got an ex-fiancée who won't go away and a soul mate to find; and all I want to do is be with _you_," Rachel cried, finally admitting out loud what had to be the world's worst kept secret and pulling on his arm to make him look at her. She stepped closer to him, closing the gap between them. "I shouldn't be attracted to you, you lied to me. I should _hate_ you, not want you."

"How do you think I feel? You're irritating, stubborn as an ass, you drive me crazy and you're just so damn…_kissable_." He grabbed her, pulling her close to him, crashing his lips onto hers. Hungrily, he attacked her mouth, kissing her as if they'd been separated for a long time. Rachel seemed surprised at first, but soon found herself melting into his embrace, throwing her arms around his neck and eagerly opening her mouth to let his tongue coerce hers out. He hadn't shaved that morning and his scruff tickled her face as they continued kissing.

Still holding her close as he continued his assault, he sank down on the sand, pulling her down with him and laying her gently on the sand. He tore his lips away, the burning in his lungs becoming too great to ignore. Hovering over her, he simply stared at her underneath him, gasping for breath the same way he was, her eyes glazed and unfocused. His heart was beating incredibly loud and he was positive that it was about to beat right out of his chest. He forced himself to focus on her eyes, losing himself in the deep brown pools that were now swirling with desire.

Slowly, Rachel brought her hands up, placing them on the back of his head and lowering his head to meet hers. Their lips met softly, a marked departure from the more forceful kisses they'd just shared. They exchanged slow, petal soft kisses for a few minutes, letting their desire and passion build up, their hands roaming freely over each other's bodies.

"I hate you, you know," Rachel finally murmured as she felt Finn's hands thread through her hair, his nose nuzzling her cheek.

"I know." He let his lips trail lightly along her jaw.

"I mean it. I really hate you," Rachel insisted as she felt his lips wrap around her earlobe and gently tug, her fingers making their way under his shirt and leaving a burning trail across his back.

"So you've said." He moved his lips to her neck and sucked hard, causing her to gasp in pleasure.

"I'm _serious_. I hate you." She pulled his face back towards hers, forcing his mouth to find its way back to hers while his hands roamed over her shapely legs.

"Do you hate it when I do this?" He let his hands slide up her long legs, pausing at the hemline of her tank top. Achingly slow, his fingers pushed the material of her shirt up, his mouth trailing kisses along the skin of her stomach becoming exposed.

"_So_ much." Her hands came to rest on his, helping him as he pulled the tank top over her head.

"How about this?" His hand gently cupped her breast over her bra, his thumb ghosting lightly over her nipple. The thin material of her bra did little to hide the stiff peak that immediately formed from his touch.

"I hate that even more." She arched her back as he pressed kisses to the soft skin above her bra, her hands guiding his behind her to unclasp it. Still placing feather soft kisses on her breasts, he reached up to slide the straps down off her shoulders, sliding them tenderly down her arms and removing the garment completely, throwing it in the sand nearby. Rachel's hands found their way into Finn's hair, directing his lips where she wanted them to go, soft whimpers escaping her mouth as he lavished attention with his mouth on one breast, his hand gently fondling the other.

Wanting to feel his lips on hers, she pulled his head up, wrapping her arms around his neck and fusing their mouths together. The moment she felt his lips on hers she knew that it was a feeling she'd never get sick of. Every movement of his mouth on her body sent pulsations straight down to her toes and she wanted _more_. His tongue worked its way into her mouth again, exploring, wanting to know every detail of her mouth. She let out a moan as she felt his tongue swirling in her mouth, her hands fisting his t-shirt. His mouth left hers, trailing down to find her pulse point, running his tongue over it and sucking hard.

"I hate this t-shirt almost as much as I hate you. Take it off," she gasped out.

He smiled against her neck before pulling his body away from her. Not needing to be told twice, he yanked off his shirt, with the assistance of Rachel, who'd impatiently sat up and began tugging on his shirt, her fingers anxious to touch as much of his bare skin as she could. Once he was freed of the offending garment, Rachel immediately straddled his lap, pressing her bare chest against his, her fingers dancing lightly against his shoulder blades, making his skin burn while her delicate lips attached themselves to his neck, biting and sucking his collarbone. She could feel his arousal through his shorts and ground herself into it, earning a guttural moan from Finn.

The friction created by their bare chests rubbing together was becoming too much for both of them, and they pulled away from each other, panting for breath, each staring into the eyes dark with lust of the other. Still staring at Rachel, Finn lowered his head to her breasts, peppering her chest with kisses as he gently pushed her backwards onto the sand again.

"Is there anything else you hate almost as much as me?" he asked, letting his tongue circle around the pebbled nipple of her breast while his fingers mimicked the action on her other breast. She could still feel his arousal and she instinctively rocked against it.

"My…my skirt," Rachel managed to get out, the feeling of his mouth now sucking on her breast making her lose coherence. Her hands, needing something to hold, found their way to his hair, gripping whatever she could as she pushed his head closer to her hot skin. Finn released her breast and not wanting to leave an inch of her skin unkissed, began kissing his way down her stomach towards her skirt, his fingers making quick work of her zipper. She arched her hips, letting him pull the skirt down her legs, discarding it nearby. He grabbed her leg, kissing his way back up the silky skin, smirking when he saw her writhing from his actions, her chest heaving as she bit her lip and her eyes closed in pleasure.

He sucked on the soft skin of her inner thigh, dragging a finger along her pink thong before placing a hot kiss against the lace. Carefully, he placed each of her legs over his shoulders, his fingers pushing aside the thong to let his mouth ghost over her center, making strategic stops to nip or suck, causing her to quiver in anticipation. Not wanting to tease her anymore, he gently ran his tongue along her center, tracing random patterns along it, loving her whimpers of pleasure. Quickly, he plunged his tongue into her, letting it curl in all directions, soliciting a deep moan from Rachel as her hands flailed out, trying to hold onto the soft sand around her.

"Ohhh, _Finn,"_ she moaned, fisting her hands in her hair, sand flying about from her movements.

Almost reluctantly, he pulled his tongue out, closing his mouth around her most sensitive spot, his eyes watching her thrash about as he sucked. He sucked harder as her hips began bucking frantically against his mouth. Knowing she was getting close, he quickly plunged his tongue back in as deep and as quick as he could, his upper lip still pressed firmly against her sensitive spot. Rachel immediately began bucking against his face, her moans becoming more primal as her orgasm began. He continued his ministrations at a slower pace, wanting her to get as much as she could, the sound of his name being ripped from her lips sounding like music to his ears. Her hips stilled as a final moan escaped from her, allowing him to release his mouth.

He climbed back up her trembling body and hovered over her, his arms bearing the brunt of his weight as he nibbled her lips with his teeth. "Anything else?" he murmured against her lips.

Rachel gave him his answer in the form of a forceful shove, surprising him when she flipped them over. She straddled him, leaning down to whisper seductively in his ear. "I can't _stand_ your pants."

Placing a blistering kiss on his lips, she kissed her way down to his waist, her nimble fingers easily unzipping his cargo shorts, exposing his plaid boxers. Her body telling her to hurry up, she slipped her fingers into his boxer shorts, rapidly pulling both the cargo shorts and his boxers down together and tossing them in the general direction behind her, revealing all of him to her. She drunk in the sight of him beneath her, running a finger down his toned chest as their eyes locked. Achingly slow, she leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on his lips, leaving him wanting more as he watched her slide down his body to nibble at his nipples. Her brown eyes were trained on his amber eyes as she continued her exploration of his body, moving down to his belly button and letting her sweet tongue dart out to swirl around it before she began sucking. Removing her lips, she blew on his moistened belly button, making him hiss as she moved down his body.

Like he did to her, she grabbed his leg, placing soft delicate kisses along his thigh, throwing in an occasional bite or suck of his thigh. Still maintaining eye contact with him, she unhurriedly ran her tongue along his hipbone, finally acknowledging his length when she took him in her fists, running them up and down a few times, her thumb lightly brushing his tip. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, she licked him from base to tip, wrapping her swollen lips around the head. Brown eyes still fixated on the amber ones watching her every move, she slowly began taking him in her mouth, her tongue quickly getting to work swirling around his tip and shaft.

Not wanting to hurt her, he tried to stop his hips from bucking, but was unable to help himself once her tongue started moving. To his surprise and delight, it didn't seem to bother her, since she simply took more of him in her mouth. He felt himself hit the back of her throat, groaning in pleasure when she tormented him by alternating between rapid and slow movements. Once she started to hum against his shaft, he knew he was coming dangerously close, and not wanting it to be all about him, managed to grab her hair, pulling her head off of him.

"No," he managed to rasp out, even though he was now painfully hard. He pulled her face up to his, driving his lips onto hers and kissing her senseless. She'd once said that she was born to kiss him and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the other way around. Every part of him was made for her and her alone. He could spend the rest of his life searching but knew he'd never find anything half as great as what was in his arms right now. He knew in that instant that they were soul mates, that destiny had brought them together; Blaine's broken leg, fortune tellers and Sam Evans had simply been necessary events to get them to this point. He knew it, and he knew that deep down, she knew it too. He kissed her more forcibly, trying to convey his thoughts through the kiss.

Rachel barely had time to register his protest before she found herself on her back, Finn's mouth still firmly attached to her own. He trailed a line of kisses along her jaw on his way to her ear. "I think _you _should know what _I_ hate," he whispered, placing a hot open mouth kiss on her neck as he waited for her answer.

"Wha…what?" she gasped out, his talented fingers once again working their magic on her breasts.

He released her earlobe to whisper in her ear. "Underwear. _Especially _pink underwear like the kind you have on."

She could feel his arousal pressing against her thigh and shifted her leg to rub against it, causing that slow burn that had been building in her stomach to intensify. "It matched my bra," she breathed out, her body shivering in anticipation.

"Don't care. I can't stand the sight of it." Settling back on his legs, he hooked his fingers in her thong, easily stripping her of it, allowing him to revel in her naked form for the first time. He almost came right there as he stared at her, lying on the sand waiting for him, the moonlight creating a halo of light around her. Her chest was still heaving, moving her perfect breasts up and down rhythmically. Her lips, swollen from his kisses, were luscious, her mouth begging to be ravaged more. Her hair, messy from both his hands and her own, had been inundated with particles of sand. Her pupils were dilated, dark with desire and lust.

Finn's breath caught. He'd never seen anything more beautiful.

He continued staring at her as he reached for his pants, thanking god for the condom Brittany had given him earlier. His eyes still locked with hers, he quickly sheathed himself, settling between Rachel's legs, placing a tender kiss on her lips. "You're _so_ beautiful, you know that? There's no work of art that could match you," he whispered hoarsely.

Rachel pulled his lips back to hers, pouring as much passion as she could into the kiss, while her hand gripped his length, positioning it at her entrance. The burning intensity deep in her stomach almost became too much to take as she felt him fill her slowly and completely, his eyes making sure she was ok with each movement. Wanting more of him, she wrapped her legs around his torso, rocking her hips in sync as he began thrusting into her. Each thrust sent shockwaves reverberating through her body, causing her to writhe in pleasure underneath him as she cried out.

Finn cupped her face with his hands, plunging his tongue into her mouth, his tongue following the same pattern as his thrusts while his mouth swallowed her cries. Needing to feel connected to her in every possible way, he released her face to grab her hands, intertwining their fingers and burying their hands in the sand above her head.

He could feel her walls tightening around him and knew she wasn't going to last much longer. His own movements were becoming more erratic, making him plunge into her faster. He wanted to give her everything he had, so he focused on her lips, kissing and sucking them, while he released one of her hands to allow his own to reach down between them to help her climax. Her free hand was scratching wildly at his back as she began to come apart underneath him. The sight of her writhing in pleasure below him, her eyes closed as she screamed in ecstasy and her hand now tangled in her hair while her body began to shudder forcefully, was enough to make him come undone, and he felt himself explode inside of her, her walls clenched tightly around him. Gently, he thrust into her a few more times, allowing their bodies to gradually recover, before he attempted to pull out of her.

"No." Her eyes still closed, she reached down to stop him from leaving her body. "I'm not ready lose you yet."

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her, slowly pulling out and collapsing next to her. They lay side by side for a moment, trying to regain their breath and calm themselves down.

"That was…" Rachel panted, her words trailing off as she struggled to find the right words to describe it. Mind-blowing and orgasmic didn't seem to justify what she'd just experienced.

"Yeah," Finn wheezed, trying to catch his breath and get rid of the condom at the same time, but knowing exactly what she meant. Fucking fantastic was the only adjective he could think of to describe their actions, but it didn't seem to be enough. He looked to his left, grinning when he felt Rachel's small hand slip into his.

His grin turned to confusion when he saw Rachel begin to squirm next to him. Releasing her hand, he propped himself up on his elbows. "What are you doing?"

Rachel stopped her squirming to look at him, glad that the darkness hid the blush sweeping across her naked body. "I've got sand in places sand should _never_ be," she confessed.

Finn laughed, leaning over to capture her sweet lips in a kiss. "So do I," he admitted against her lips. He released her mouth, standing up and holding a hand out to her. "Come on."

Rachel's eyes glazed over at the sight of his nude body, loving the way it looked illuminated by the moonlight. "Where are we going?" she asked as she took his hand and stood up, wiggling a little to let the loose sand fall off of her.

Finn immediately stopped her, scooping her up bridal style and planting a kiss on her lips. "It's no use wiggling to get rid of sand. As cute as you look doing it, it's _my_ job to clean you off," he murmured in her ear as he headed for the dark sea water.

He waded out into the shallow water, sitting down and gently lowering Rachel onto his lap with a kiss, positioning her so that she was facing him with a leg on either side of his torso, bringing up his own knees for her to rest against. His hands began tenderly brushing away any loose patches of sand he could see on her body, making her eyes close in pleasure as the water lapped around them. Carefully, he scooped up some cool water, letting it run down Rachel's overheated skin. A small hiss escaped her mouth at the contrasting temperatures and she shifted, causing her body to grind down into his. Feeling himself beginning to get aroused again, he concentrated on images of the mailman as he continued to gently clean her off. His brow furrowed as he summoned mailman after mailman, his hands roaming all over her body while small whimpers escaped from Rachel's lips.

Lowering his knees, he pulled Rachel down slightly so that her head was close to the water; almost as if she was getting her hair washed at a beauty salon sink. Tenderly, he tilted her head back over his knees, scooping up more water and releasing it on her scalp, his fingers gently massaging away the stubborn grains of sand clinging to her hair.

Rachel sighed in contentment, her hands gripping his strong legs underneath her, her eyes still shut from the pleasure of his ministrations. She'd never met a man so considerate and giving. He was just as covered in sand as she was and his skin was probably just as irritated, but he was ignoring his own discomfort to make sure she was happy. Each movement of his talented fingers was making her more and more aware of this, and she could feel that slow burn building up in her stomach again.

"You're officially sand free," he murmured in her ear, placing an open mouth kiss just below it. Her eyes fluttered open at his words, her skin growing hot again from his touch. She focused her eyes on Finn, who had placed his hands on her knees, rubbing his thumb over one knee softly as he stared at her. The burn that was building deep within her grew in size once she looked into his eyes and saw the lust and desire still present.

Slowly, she reached out to pull him towards her, placing a lingering kiss on his lips. "But _you're_ not."

"No, I'm not," he agreed, placing small kisses along her jaw. "What am I going to do?"

"I could help you if you want. You're pretty dirty," she whispered in his ear, nibbling his earlobe with her teeth.

"Yeah? What could you do to help?" Finn asked; liking the direction this was going.

"I've got some ideas," Rachel replied coyly, purposely rocking her hips against him as she brushed some loose sand off of his shoulders. A rogue wave came crashing against her back, making her squeal and grab Finn's neck securely. He laughed, earning a gentle slap on his chest from Rachel. "Are you laughing at me?" she asked, a teasing glint in her eye, not releasing her hold on his neck.

"Never. You must have been looking at someone else," Finn said cheekily, kissing her lips lightly.

"Good. I only help clean dirty boys who don't laugh at me."

"Good thing I didn't laugh then."

"Good thing."

Her arms still around his neck, she snuggled into him, her head on resting on his shoulder as their bare chests pressed together. "Finn?" she asked after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"Am I really kissable?"

Finn wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Didn't I just show you how kissable I think you are?"

"You did." She buried her face in his neck. "Finn?" she asked again.

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you do it?" she whispered against his neck.

"Do what?"

"Pretend to be Sam."

"Because I knew as soon as I saw you that this could be something. Once I heard that you were waiting for someone named Sam, I panicked because I thought you wouldn't give me the time of day if you knew I wasn't Sam. I actually tried to tell you my real name when we were looking for the Colosseum but you were so excited about seeing it that I didn't want to ruin the experience for you."

She picked her head up to stare into his eyes for a second before she kissed him hard. Finn kissed her back, his fingers coming up to tangle in her hair before she began climbing off of him and standing up. This time it was his turn to marvel at the sexiness radiating off her nude body as she stood in front of him, quickly scampering off to their clothing.

"What are you doing?" Finn asked, standing up and hurrying after her, watching in disappointment as she pulled on her tank top and skirt. The fact that she forgoed the bra and thong only slightly tempered his disappointment.

Rachel sauntered over to him, handing him his cargo shorts. "Put these on."

Silently, Finn reached for his boxers, only to have Rachel snatch them out of his hand. "I'll take those. You won't be needing them."

"I won't?" Finn asked, a smile forming on his face as he pulled on the cargo shorts.

"Did I or did I not promise to help you get rid of the sand on you?" she asked, one hand on her hip, clutching his boxers, her bra and thong in the other, as she watched him pull on his shirt.

"That's right; you _did_ mention you had a few ideas." He stepped closer to her, pulling her against him and letting his hands slide under her skirt to cup her bare rear. "You never said what they were though."

"Guess you'll just have to wait and find out when we get to my room." She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes. "Up please."

"I have to carry you too?" he teased, immediately hoisting her up, letting her lock her legs around his torso.

"If you know what's good for you," Rachel responded, her fingers playing with the wet hair on the back of his neck as she pecked his lips lightly.

"I do." Returning her kiss with one on his own, he began walking off the beach heading for the elevator to take them back up to the hotel. Rachel, her arms firmly around his neck, rewarded his answer by placing soft kisses along his face and jaw. Both were so engrossed in each other that neither noticed they'd left behind their shoes.

Nor did they ever notice the full moon illuminating their path to the elevator.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Whew! That was long! It took me longer to write this one because I didn't write it sequentially like I normally do.**_


	16. The World's Worst Kept Secret

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Rachel<strong>__**: I cannot believe he would do that to Mon—Whoa! Joey, do they know that we know?  
><strong>__**Joey:**__** No.  
><strong>__**Rachel**__**: Joey!  
><strong>__**Joey**__**: They know you know.  
><strong>__**Rachel**__**: Ugh, I knew it! Oh I cannot believe those two!  
><strong>__**Phoebe**__**: God, they thought they can mess with us! They're trying to mess with us? They don't know that we know they know we know! Joey, you can't say anything!  
><strong>__**Joey**__**: I couldn't even if I wanted to.**_

_**-Friends**_

* * *

><p>"Can I ask you a question?"<p>

Luca looked up from folding the napkins to see Rachel standing in the doorway. She looked amazing as usual, dressed in a tiny skirt and tank top, her hair flowing loosely around her shoulders. His mouth went a little dry as he stared at her. "Uh, sure. Is there something you need?" he asked, mentally kicking himself for sounding so stupid.

Rachel slowly began walking towards him, her hands playing with the hem of her tank top. She stopped just in front of him, her eyes boring into him. "Do you think this matches?"

"What your shirt?" Luca asked stupidly, not sure why she was asking him. It seemed to him Kurt would be a better choice for something like this.

Rachel shook her head. "No, I mean this." Her eyes still fixed on his, she quickly stripped off her shirt, revealing a black lacy bra. Luca's mouth dropped open in shock as she unzipped her skirt, letting it drop to the floor. She looked even more amazing than he thought she would, standing in front of him with her matching bra and skimpy panties. "Does my bra match?"

Luca stared at her, gripping the napkin in his hand tightly. "Uh…"

"Because if it doesn't, then I can take it off." She reached behind her, ready to unclasp it if he said so.

"Uh…" The ability to speak was lost on him. He glanced down at the napkin in his hand, unsure of what to do.

"Luca?"

He continued to stare down at his napkin, clenching and unclenching it in his hands, as his arousal swelled in his pants.

"Luca! Snap out of it!"

Startled, he looked up, no longer seeing Rachel in her lingerie, but his mother in her day dress and apron. Realizing he'd been caught in an erotic daydream, he blushed furiously, placing the napkin in his lap to hide the arousal that was all too real.

"What are you doing? We have to get ready for the breakfast!" Antonia scolded, bustling about the terrace, straightening the tablecloths. Luca resumed folding the napkins, his mind on Rachel.

"It won't work, you know," Antonia commented in Italian, still straightening the tablecloths.

"What won't?" Luca asked, once again startled out of his Rachel induced fantasy.

"You and Rachel. I've seen the way you look at her and I'm telling you _it won't work._"

"Why not?" Luca demanded, the blush growing. He didn't think he'd been _that_ obvious.

"Because it's the same way she looks at Finn." She shook her head, marveling at young love.

Luca looked down, not wanting to hear that. "You never know."

"No. I _do_ know. It's obvious that he worships the ground she walks on. Once they get out of their own way, they'll realize what everyone else already knows, that they belong together," Antonia declared. She took the napkins from her son, pulling his head up to look at him. "One day you'll meet a girl who looks at you the way Rachel looks at Finn, I'm sure of it."

Luca smiled at her sadly, not believing her words. How could his mother say Rachel belong with Finn? She was constantly saying she hated Finn and he'd never seen them be that affectionate with each other, other than what he'd seen in the pool. Even that, although he hadn't liked it, had been dismissed by him as no major roadblock to Rachel's affections. His mother was wrong. He felt sure that if he could just get Rachel alone, she'd _want_ to be with him.

So far though, getting Rachel alone was proving hard to do. Quinn had gotten in the way when he'd tried to dance with Rachel at the dance club and he'd had to leave early yesterday from Capri to cover Marco's shift, luckily not before getting to see Rachel remove her bathing suit._ That_ image had fueled his dreams last night. She'd disappeared when they'd all got back to the hotel late yesterday afternoon and despite his best efforts to find Rachel, she'd remained elusive and he'd had to settle for Giulia's company again last night.

His mouth set in a grim line of determination. He'd first noticed Rachel at Quinn's wedding almost a year and a half ago, and ever since then, she'd been on his mind. Today was going to be different, he was sure of it. Today was going to be the day he got Rachel alone and confessed his feelings. How he was going to do that, he had no idea, but he knew it was now or never.

"I'll finish this. Why don't you go and start setting up the pool and beach area?"

Luca nodded and quickly made his way down to the pool area, his mind rapidly conjuring up all sorts of wild fantasies about Rachel's reaction when he confessed his feelings to her.

Like he did every morning, he set out the lounge chairs and made sure the pool was clean before heading down to the beach area. Descending the steps, his gaze fell on a large pair of men's flip flops lying forgotten on the sand. He rolled his eyes wondering what sort of moron forgets his shoes.

Grumbling to himself, he headed towards the shoes, ready to add them to the Lost and Found box in the lobby. As he got closer, he noticed another, much smaller pair of black flip flops lying next to the ones he'd already spotted. They were tiny, a large black bow decorated with a rhinestone center gracing the top of each flip flop. His eyes lit up in recognition. He knew those shoes.

They were Rachel's.

This was it. This was his chance. He could bring her back her shoes and then confess his feelings. It was early, she was sure to be in her room. She'd probably be so grateful that he found her shoes that she'd invite him in, and then he could tell her.

Happily, he scooped up her shoes, hugging them to himself as he turned and started up the stairs to the pool area, the men's shoes once again lying forgotten on the sand behind him.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Quinn! I save you best table! Come!" Aunt Antonia called from across the terrace as soon as she spotted Quinn walk into the restaurant. She hurried over, leading Quinn, Brittany and Kurt towards a secluded table with an amazing view of the water down below.<p>

She was just telling them what was being offered today when Aunt Sue came storming over. "Antonia! What kind of establishment are you running here?" she demanded furiously, stopping just behind the empty chair next to Brittany.

"What are you talking about?" Antonia asked, staring at Sue. Quinn, Kurt and Brittany watched this exchange with interest, wondering what had set Sue off.

"Don't play dumb with me. I'm talking about the fact that ever since Giuseppe died, this place has become more and more like one of those sex resorts! First, that display by the pool the other day and now the show I was treated to last night."

"Sue, I really have no idea what you're talking about." Antonia exchanged looks of confusion with Quinn, while Kurt and Brittany tried unsuccessfully to hide their looks of amusement.

"Allow me to elaborate. There I was, enjoying the full moon last night on my balcony when my ears were accosted by the sounds of two sexually depraved freaks going at it like rabbits down below on the beach. The female's screams of ecstasy are _still_ ringing in my ears." She shuddered at the memory before turning to Kurt. "Guess that exonerates you, Lady."

"Why were you listening, Aunt Sue? You should have gone inside!" Quinn commented, not bothering to hide her laughter.

"You think this is funny, Q? My eyes are still burning from the pasty white man ass that was staring up at me! I_ demand_ you do something about this!" Sue barked at Antonia. "It's like a sex riot here!"

"Did you get a look at them?" Antonia asked, amusement lacing her words. If this had to happen, it couldn't have happened to a better person. More often than not, Sue was a pain in the ass when she visited, and the fact that a couple chose to make love on the beach below her balcony was sweet revenge for all the staff she'd ever belittled or thrown in the pool.

"The beach is too far down and too dark for me to make a positive facial ID without my night vision glasses. That tight, firm ass was the only thing I could see in the moonlight and it's been seared into my brain." She eyed Kurt's backside as he stood up and headed over to the juice bar. "Exonerated again, Lady."

"Sue! You can't check out the behinds of all my male clients!" Antonia gasped.

"You think I _want_ to do this? I had nightmares about that ass last night! It's my duty to keep the hotel clientele from witnessing the kind of sick display I saw last night. Believe me, when I match that firm ass up to its rightful backside, there's going to be hell to pay, the likes of which have not been seen since George Washington sued his dentist for giving him wooden teeth."

"Aunt Sue, don't you think you're being unreasonable?" Quinn asked, arching an eyebrow. "It was probably just two teenagers with no place to go to be alone."

"So they have to ruin _my_ night?" Sue demanded. "I won't rest until I find the owner of that ass, Q. While I'm at it, I think I'll hunt down that screamer also. Those screams were so loud she should be an opera singer."

She stomped off, pausing momentarily to bark at a juice laden Kurt. "Your ass may be exonerated, but your voice isn't, Porcelain."

"What was that about?" Kurt asked, handing out the juice. "Why is my ass exonerated, but not my voice?"

Quinn laughed. "Aunt Sue's going to match the offending ass to its backside and she's going to hunt down the poor girl who screams loud. Apparently, she could be an opera singer, she was so loud." She peered at Brittany, who appeared deep in thought. "Are you ok, Brit?"

"Sue said she could be an opera singer. A _singer_," Brittany stressed. "Do you think…?"

Quinn grinned, catching on. "_Oh_."

Kurt looked from one to the other. "What am I missing?"

"But whose ass was it? I haven't seen Jesse since yesterday," Brittany fretted, ignoring Kurt. "And Rachel didn't answer her phone when I called her for breakfast this morning."

"I haven't seen Jesse either," Quinn admitted. "But the way Aunt Sue described it, the ass sounded muscular. I don't think Jesse's ass is like that."

"Ladies, what is going on here?" Kurt demanded. "Why are we talking about Jesse's ass?"

Quinn and Brittany were drawn out of their cryptic conversation, having momentarily forgotten Kurt was there.

"Kurt," Quinn began slowly. "What can you tell us about Finn's ass?"

"_What?_ I'll have you know that I've _never_…" Kurt began hotly, until little snippets of their conversation began repeating in his head. "_Oh_!"

The girls grinned once they realized that he'd caught on. "So we're almost positive Rachel was the screamer, but we just need to make sure it was Finn and not Jesse," Brittany mused.

"It wasn't," Kurt said slowly, his mind furiously replaying what he'd heard Sue say.

"How do you know? No one's seen Jesse since yesterday," Quinn pointed out. "For that matter, I haven't seen Rachel since she was in the spa last night."

"Didn't you hear what Sue said?" Kurt questioned; a curious glint in his eye as he waited for their response.

"Aunt Sue says a lot of stuff. It's hard to keep up," Quinn responded, rolling her eyes. "What did she say that was so important?"

"Only that there was a full moon last night," Kurt replied smugly. Quinn gasped, while Brittany clapped her hands excitedly. "Exactly, Ladies. Whoever's the owner of that so called pasty white ass - and I've got a pretty good idea who that person is – well, he's Rachel's soul mate."

* * *

><p>Her head propped up on her elbow, Rachel continued doing what she'd been doing for the past half hour, which was staring at Finn's sleeping body lying next to her. He looked almost childlike as he slept; his hair sticking up in a thousand directions, the result of her hands tugging incessantly at it while he'd pleasured her body. She smiled, knowing that he'd earned his deep slumber.<p>

They'd barely made it back to her room last night. Just like the last time they were in an elevator, Rachel had practically attacked him. Unlike last time however, they were alone, which allowed Finn to take full advantage of Rachel's lack of panties. Once they'd gotten back to Rachel's room, the clothes had flown off in a flurry of hands and kisses. Rachel, true to her word, had immediately led Finn to the shower, ridding him of unwanted sand _very_ thoroughly. Long after the hot water had disappeared, they'd finally emerged, Finn carrying her over to the bed, ready to shower adulation on her body. Eventually, the need for sleep overtook passion and they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms.

He shifted a little, his naked body furrowing into the mattress. Rachel, afraid he was cold, pulled the covers up gently around him as she continued to stare. His hands gripped the blankets around himself as he furrowed even deeper, a look of sleepy contentment on his face, making Rachel smile. Once they'd finally gotten around to sleeping, it hadn't taken Rachel long to see that Finn was the kind of sleeper who didn't move once he fell asleep. Which incidentally was fine with her, since it meant that he'd stayed spooned against her long after he'd fallen asleep.

Last night had been beyond anything she'd ever expected. She wasn't sure what she'd expected to happen when she'd set out in search of him, but it certainly hadn't been _that_. Now that it had happened though, she knew there was no going back.

Not that she wanted to.

She'd never felt so…_loved_ before. She stretched; her body tender in that _oh so fabulous_ way that only comes from a night of true passion. Starting down at the beach and continuing late into the night in Rachel's room, Finn had committed to memory every moan, shiver or scream that came from her body, taking careful note of what each one meant and using it to pleasure her in ways she never thought possible. He'd proven an apt student in Rachel 101, bringing her to a level of ecstasy she'd never achieved before. The look in his eyes as he'd worshipped her body was forever seared in her brain and his words from last night were echoing in her head as she stared at him.

_You're __so__ beautiful, you know that? There's no work of art that could match you._

She knew he meant it, because every touch, kiss or look in his eyes revealed to her how true his words were. Even in sleep, his movements betrayed his feelings, his hands often moving to pull her closer to his body.

It wasn't just him either. She knew she'd fallen hard for him. The depth and intensity of her feelings scared her, making her wonder if she'd ever really known what was love was. What she'd shared with Jesse was a completely different kind of love, certainly not the toe curling, _miss him as soon as he's gone _kind of love. She wondered if this was how Nana, Quinn, Brittany or Noah had felt.

But…this wasn't supposed to happen. Finn _wasn't_ Sam, he'd said so himself. Yet his face was the last thing she saw each night before she closed her eyes and he was the first thing she thought of in the morning. She'd barely spent any time looking for Sam, and honestly, she couldn't care less. But how could that be? Sam was her destiny, not Finn.

Unless…Could Brittany be right? Was Finn _Sam_?

_I wanted you to see that just because someone has the name, doesn't mean he's your Soul Mate. I really think that Sam Evans is a means to an end. I don't think you're __**supposed **__to meet Sam because you've already met Sam. __**Finn.**_

But why? Why then would the fortune always say Sam Evans? Her head was starting to spin and she tore her gaze away from a still sleeping Finn to reach for her iPod, placing the ear buds in her ears and replacing her head back on her arm. Eyes still fixated on Finn, she pressed shuffle, hoping for some answers. Her eyes grew wide as she heard the opening notes of the first song.

**_At last, my love has come along  
><em>_My lonely days are over  
><em>_And life is like a song  
><em>**

**_Oh, yeah, at last  
><em>_The skies above are blue  
><em>_My heart was wrapped up in clovers  
><em>_The night I looked at you_**

**_I found a dream that I could speak to  
><em>_A dream that I can call my own  
><em>_I found a thrill to rest my cheek to  
><em>_A thrill that I have never known_**

**_Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile  
><em>_Oh, and then the spell was cast  
><em>_And here we are in heaven  
><em>_For you are mine_**

**_At last_**

If that wasn't a sign, she didn't know what was. She'd always loved that song and had secretly wanted it for her wedding song; until Jesse had decided (after an extensive survey of his costars and not Rachel) that _If I Loved You_ from _Carousel_ was the most romantic Broadway song and would therefore be their wedding song.

Still not taking her eyes off of Finn, she listened as _At Last_ ended, waiting to see what the next song would be. Just like before, her eyes went wide.

**_How can I convince you what you see is real  
>Who am I to blame you for doubting what you feel<br>I was always reachin', you were just a girl I knew  
>I took for granted the friend I have in you<em>**

**_I was living for a dream,_ _loving for a moment_ **  
><strong><em>Taking on the world,<em> _that was just my style_ **  
><strong><em>Now I look into your eyes,<em> _I can see forever_ **  
><strong><em>The search is over,<em> _you were with me all the while_**

**_Can we last forever,_ _will we fall apart  
><em> _At times it's so confusing,_ _the questions of the heart_ **  
><strong><em>You followed me through changes,<em> _and patiently you'd wait_ **  
><strong><em>Till I came to my senses,<em> _through some miracle of fate_**

**_I was living for a dream,_ _loving for a moment_ **  
><strong><em>Taking on the world,<em> _that was just my style_ **  
><strong><em>Now I look into your eyes,<em> _I can see forever_ **  
><strong><em>The search is over,<em> _you were with me all the while_**

**_Now the miles stretch out behind me,_ _loves that I have lost_ **  
><strong><em>Broken hearts lie victims of the game<em> **  
><strong><em>Then good luck,<em> _it finally stuck like lightning from the blue_ **  
><strong><em>Every highway's leading me back to you<em> **

**_Now at last I hold you,_ _now all is said and done_ **  
><strong><em>The search has come full circle,<em> _our destinies are one_ **  
><strong><em>So if you ever loved me,<em> _show me that you give a damn_ **  
><strong><em>You'll know for certain the man I really am<em>**

**_I was living for a dream,_ _loving for a moment_ **  
><strong><em>Taking on the world,<em> _that was just my style_ **  
><strong><em>When I touched your hand,<em> _I could hear you whisper_ **  
><strong><em>The search is over,<em> _love was right before my eyes_**

Could the song be right? Was her search really over? She'd never even found Sam, but did it really matter? Would Sam make her feel as loved and as special as Finn did? Would she spend over a half an hour just staring at Sam as he slept? Somehow, she doubted so.

_Finn is Sam._

Brittany's words resounded in her head. She mulled them over, still staring at a sleeping Finn. She'd told Jesse that there was the _idea_ of someone. Maybe that's all Sam would ever be, just an idea, while Finn was the reality. The idea of Sam lead her to Finn. Maybe the songs were trying to tell her to stop looking.

He stirred a little; sleep beginning to leave his body. Pausing the iPod, Rachel stroked his chest softly, waiting for consciousness to overtake him. His eyes fluttered open at her touch, still heavy with sleep.

"Hey you," she said quietly, echoing his words from the day before.

He smiled at her, his hand capturing hers against his chest. "Hey."

Finn released her hand, letting his own fall easily over her hip, using it to pull her even closer to him. Avoiding her mouth, he placed soft kisses along her jaw and neck. "Finding out how your day is gonna go? What songs came up?"

She smiled; shocked that he'd remembered her mentioning her iPod shuffle theory. Silently, she plucked one of the ear buds out of her ear, placing it in his as he rolled onto his back. Lowering her head to his shoulder, she placed the iPod on his stomach and restarted the song.

"Survivor, huh?" he asked, his fingers playing with her silky hair. She didn't answer, placing a finger on his lips to silence him and letting the music speak for her. They laid in silence for the duration of the song, the significance of the words not lost on either of them.

"So what does that song mean?" Finn asked; his words loaded with meaning.

"It means that it's going to be a good day," Rachel replied, leaning up to give him a kiss.

"How so?" Finn demanded, wanting to get this conversation over with. Did she mean it was going to be a good day because she'd find Sam? Or that it was a good day because she realized she wanted to be with him?

"It's going to be a good day because I'm spending it with you." She started to pull the ear buds out of their ears only to have Finn place a hand on hers, stopping her. "What?"

"What about Sam?" he asked quietly.

"What about him?" she responded just as quietly.

"Is that song about _him_? Couldn't it mean you're going to find him?" The words were spoken almost as whisper and Rachel looked up to see the fear swirling in his eyes.

"No, because I honestly don't feel the need to look for him now." The moment the words left her mouth, she knew it was true. Brittany was right. There was a reason she hadn't run into Sam and that reason was currently lying naked next to her. She knew it now, and if she was honest with herself, she'd always known it deep down inside.

Finn still looked worried, so she hastened to reassure him with a kiss. "Tell you what. Why don't you see what the iPod Gods say about it? Press shuffle and the next song will tell you all you need to know." She handed him the iPod and checked to see that the ear buds were firmly in both their ears before snuggling against him.

He pressed shuffle, their ears immediately inundated with the sounds of singing Smurfs.

_La la la-la la la,_

_Sing a happy ___song___._

_La la la-la la la,_

__Smurf___ your whole day long._

Trying his best not to laugh, Finn pressed pause, arching an eyebrow at Rachel, who bit her lip as a blush tinged her cheeks. "What? It happens to be a very clever arrangement," she defended.

He maintain his arched eyebrow for all of about two seconds before he burst out laughing both at the song and at the expression on her face. "Seriously? That's your defense? A clever arrangement?" The absurdity of her words caught up to her and she began giggling.

"Never mind that. Try it again," she directed in between giggles.

Obediently, Finn pressed forward. The iPod took its chore much more seriously this time, coming up with a Bon Jovi song Finn had never heard before. As the song played on, his grip on Rachel tightened, the chorus eerily similar to what he had told Kurt and Blaine.

**_At the mirror you fix your hair and put your makeup on  
>You're insecure about what clothes to wear I can't see nothing wrong<br>__To me you look so beautiful when you can't make up your mind  
>It's half past eight, it's getting late<br>It's ok, take your time_**

**_Standing here my hands in my pockets  
>Like I have a thousand times<br>Thinking back it took one breath  
>One word to change my life<em>**

**_The first time I saw you it felt like coming home  
>If I never told you I just want you to know<br>You had me from hello_**

**_When we walk into a crowded room it's like we're all alone  
>Everybody tries to kidnap your attention<br>You just smile and steal the show_**

**_You come to me and take my hand  
>We start dancin' slow<br>You put your lips up to my ear and whisper way down low_**

**_From the first time I saw you it felt like coming home  
><em>_If I never told you I just want you to know  
>You had me from hello<em>**

**_And when you're laying down beside me  
>I feel your heartbeat to remind me...<em>**

**_The first time I saw you it felt like coming home  
>If I never told you I just want you to know<br>You had me from hello_**

**_From hello_**

He stared at her. Rachel was really onto something with this iPod thing. He'd never heard that song before, but it summed up his feelings perfectly. He'd never know what made him look up when he'd stepped out of that elevator in Rome, but it had certainly been the best subconscious decision he'd ever made.

"Well? Did it tell you all you need to know?" Rachel asked, just as moved by the song as he was. She'd always loved that song, and it took on a special significance now that the chorus of the song was so fitting for their situation.

"I think so," Finn replied, leaning over to kiss her, the iPod sliding forgotten off his stomach. Rachel yanked the ear buds out of their ears on her way to letting her fingers play with the hair on the back of his neck.

They exchanged a few slow kisses for several minutes, before Rachel, suddenly wanting a repeat of last night, climbed on top of him, biting and sucking on his neck. "I've been waiting for you to wake up," she murmured in his ear, her hands roaming freely over his chest.

"Why's that?" he asked, her actions giving him a pretty good idea of why she'd been waiting for him. His body immediately began reacting and he felt her smile against his neck, knowing that she could feel his arousal pressing against her body.

She sat up, the blanket falling behind her. He stared up in awe at the naked body straddling him, his hands coming to rest on her waist and his thumbs rubbing small circles on her skin, watching as she reached over to the nightstand and plucked a condom from the (now considerably less full) box Noah had stuck in her suitcase. She held it up between two fingers, a seductive smirk on her face. "I thought we could go for an early morning _ride_, Finn."

Almost before he knew what she was doing, she'd ripped the wrapper open, scooted down and sheathed him. Her lips made their way back to his, giving him a sizzling kiss before lowering herself onto him. His hands maintained their hold on her waist, his hips thrusting up as she pushed down. They cried out in unison, the feelings flowing through them overwhelming their senses. They quickly found a rhythm, their bodies easily working in sync.

Rachel threw her head back as she rode him, pulling his hands off her waist and holding them against her breasts. Knowing what she wanted, he immediately began fondling her, making the moans escaping her mouth crescendo in volume. Her eyes squeezed shut from the sheer joy his hands were giving her and she began riding him faster, moving almost recklessly, her hands tangled in her hair as she screamed out his name. Even with her eyes closed, she could still picture him beneath her, gazing up at her in that way that made a shiver go down her spine all the way to her toes.

Finn brought his hands back to grip her hips, helping her control her movements while she moved up and down or side to side, meeting his hips as he continued thrusting upwards. The feeling of her walls encompassing his length combined with her moans was too much for him and he closed his eyes, seeing stars behind his lids. Without opening his eyes, he knew she was close when her nails dragged down his chest, leaving a trail of deep red lines in their wake and making him hiss from the contact.

Needing something to hold, her hands gripped his shoulders as her movements became more erratic and he began moving faster, one hand rubbing her as she climaxed. Her body began shuddering as she screamed out his name, moving against him one final time before collapsing on top of him. The sight of her coming undone above him had brought his own powerful release just after hers and he lay still underneath her, attempting to steady his breathing.

Rachel screaming out his name in ecstasy was quickly becoming his most favorite way to hear his name and he definitely wasn't opposed to getting her to do it again. He watched in disappointment as she climbed off him, her body splayed against the sheets next to him as she attempted to regain control of herself. His own breathing still labored, he set about disposing of the condom, settling back into bed next to her.

Her hand found its way into his as her head turned to look at him. "Finny?"

"Yeah?" He turned his own head towards her, temporarily releasing her hand to shift onto his side. Rachel did the same, her hand once again finding his. Finn kissed their intertwined fingers, bringing their hands to rest against his chest.

"Does anyone ever call you that? Finny, I mean." She stared at him, anxious for his answer.

"My mom does," he replied, immediately noticing the crestfallen expression on her face.

"Oh." She bit her lip.

He leaned closer to her. "But I like being called Finny by you more than my mom," he whispered and was immediately rewarded with the huge smile he loved.

She placed a soft kiss against his lips. "You don't mind me calling you the same thing your mom does?" she asked, wanting to make sure he was truly ok with it. Thanks to the _Rachy_ fiasco, she knew all too well the resentment that comes from a hated nickname.

"Nope. You say it differently anyway. Besides, she calls me BabyFinn too, but only when she's trying to get me to do something," he admitted, blushing scarlet while Rachel laughed. "Don't laugh. It's how I ended up here."

"So if I wanted you to join me in the shower, I'd have to call you BabyFinn?" Rachel teased.

"Not if you want me to actually come," he retorted, almost sorry he'd shared that, but figuring it didn't really matter since Rachel was bound to hear his mom say it at some point.

"Good to know," Rachel commented, reaching over to caress his cheek.

"What about you?" he asked, honestly curious. He'd never heard Brittany or Quinn call her anything other than Rachel.

"My fathers call me Princess, but that's about it," she said thoughtfully. "Everyone else calls me Rachel."

"Really? No one calls you Rach?" He was surprised, _Rach_ had slipped easily several times from his lips and it never occurred to him that no one else in her life called her that.

"Only you." She stared into his eyes. "I like the fact that you're the only one who does. I always-" she paused, embarrassed.

"What? Tell me," Finn urged, wondering what she was embarrassed about. No nickname could be worse than BabyFinn. "You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"

She shifted over, pressing their bare chests together as she buried her face in his neck. _"Ilikeditwhenyoucalledmebabe,"_ she mumbled against his skin.

It took Finn a moment to figure out what she'd said, but once he did, a grin broke out on his face. He pulled her head away from his neck, kissing her forehead, nose and lips, in that order. "In that case I'll make sure I say it."

"Jesse never liked it. He always said Babe or Baby was for high school." She rolled her eyes. "I always thought _Rachy_ was high schoolish, not to mention just plain stupid."

Finn's grin faded a little at the mention of Jesse. With everything that had happened since last night, he'd forgotten about the determined ex-fiancée. He rolled over onto his back, exhaling loudly. "What are we going to do?"

"About what?" Rachel asked, snuggling into his side, her fingers making designs on his stomach.

"Jesse. He thinks you're going home with him, remember?"

Rachel grinned wickedly as she propped her chin on his chest. "Didn't I tell you, Finny? I had a little run in with him last night and he finally left." She paused. "For good."

He sat up, dumping Rachel off his chest in his excitement. "Seriously?"

Rachel sat up also, looping her arm through his and dropping a kiss on his shoulder. "Cross my heart."

"So you mean I can do this without having to worry about him seeing?" He tilted her head towards his, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. "Or this?" His lips trailed down her throat, sucking at her pulse point.

Rachel mewled at the contact, temporarily losing herself in his touch. She turned her head to the side, her eyes landing on the clock, which snapped her back to reality. "_Finny._ We need to get up. Everyone's down at breakfast, I'm sure. As much as I would love to stay right here with you, we really need to get up."

"Why can't we just stay here?" he murmured, pushing her back on the bed and climbing on top of her as he continued his assault on her neck.

"_Because_. I'm sure our absence has already been noted by Brittany, Quinn and Kurt, which means they're speculating about where we are. I don't want to give Brits the satisfaction of knowing she was right just yet."

He pulled his head away from her neck to stare at her. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning that I want to keep this secret for now, just to mess with them. They were so smug about it." She could see him doubting the wisdom of this, and cupped his face pleadingly. "Please, Finny? For me?"

"Alright," Finn said reluctantly. "But it's going to be really hard to keep my hands off of you, especially if you wear that pink bikini, the one with the hearts."

"Noted." Rachel leaned up to place her lips against his, kissing him repeatedly. "Can I interest you in a shower as a thank you?"

Finn didn't need to be asked again, jumping off the bed and scooping her up. He deposited her on the bathroom counter, leaving her only to turn on the water before he settled between her legs, kissing her while they waited for the water to heat up.

"Did you hear that?" Rachel asked, tearing her lips away from Finn's. She cocked her head to the side. "I think someone's knocking at the door."

Finn paused, listening. "I think you're right. I'll go see who it is."

He started to walk to the door, halfway there before he realized that he was naked. He doubled back, grabbing the shorts a giggling Rachel was already holding out.

Pulling the shorts on as he walked towards the door, he peeked through the peephole in case it was Brittany or Quinn, but since it was only Luca, he flung open the door. "Hey, man."

Luca's eyes widened. "Oh, uh, sorry. I thought this was Rachel's room." He started backing away, gripping a pair of shoes against his chest.

"No, man, you've got the right room. She's just in the shower," Finn offered, staring at the strange expression on Luca's face. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah…um...here…I found these." He thrust the shoes into Finn's arms and took off, leaving a confused Finn staring after him.

Shrugging, he closed the door, dropping the tiny sandals on the floor as he heard Rachel call out. "Finny? Are you ready?"

Luca's weirdness immediately forgotten at the sound of Rachel's voice, he stripped himself of his shorts and hurried towards the bathroom, already missing Rachel in the short time he'd been at the door. He grinned at the sight of Rachel's wet naked body waiting for him in the steamy bathroom, quickly joining her and losing himself in her.

Yes, Rachel was his for the moment, but he couldn't shake the fear resting deep in the back of his mind that he wasn't quite in the clear yet.

No matter what the iPod said.

* * *

><p>Luca's mind reeled as he walked in a daze back to the dining area.<p>

Finn.

In Rachel's room.

Shirtless and with distinct nail marks on his chest.

True, he could have gotten those nail marks by scratching at his own chest, but _why_ was he shirtless in Rachel's room? Was his mother right? Did they really like each other and finally realized it? It _couldn't_ be. That's not what's supposed to happen. It should be _him_ shirtless in Rachel's room. He was supposed to go there and Rachel would be so grateful for finding his shoes, she'd invite him in. Instead, he'd looked like a moron when Finn opened the door. He'd been so shocked, that he just started backing up, clutching the shoes to his chest, ready to run. Only the weird look on Finn's face had stopped him from doing so.

He decided to watch Finn's interactions with Rachel closely today. He wasn't sure what their plans were, but he figured he could tag along on the premise of being Quinn's cousin. Satisfied with this plan, he walked slightly less dazed towards the dining area.

"Luca!"

He groaned, hearing the melodious bark of Sue behind him. Hoping she didn't want something outrageous that would get him or anyone else thrown in the pool, he slowly turned around. "Yes, Sue?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to require a list of all males staying at this hotel, including a list of employees. I have a partial list here." She held up a legal pad, the names of several male employees written on it, including his own, and a few crossed off. She circled around him, eyeing him critically.

"I can't give you that list, you know that from last time," he explained patiently. Sue had been furious when on her last visit, a couple had requested her usual room, demanding to see the reservation, so she'd know who to kick out of the hotel.

"That so? I have my methods, so I'll get that list. Now, I have a few questions for you while I have you here. Question number one, what were you doing around nine o'clock last night?" Sue barked, prepared to write down his answers.

"Um, I was working the front desk," Luca replied, honestly confused about what Sue was up to.

"I'm afraid I'll need to see a time card for verification. Question number two: Do you have all over tan or is it as white as snow under your bathing suit?"

"_What?"_ Luca asked.

"Sue! Leave him alone! He was working the front desk last night!" Antonia called out as she walked towards them.

"Consider yourself lucky I'm crossing your name off," Sue announced glaring at him before she stomped off.

"What was that about?" Luca asked his mother in Italian.

"Oh, she's on the warpath because a couple chose to make love on the beach and she heard it." Antonia waved a hand dismissively, ready to get back to the breakfast crowd.

Luca made to follow her, stopping short once her words registered. _A couple chose to make love on the beach._

Rachel's shoes were on the beach, along with a man's.

Forget watching Rachel and Finn's interactions all day. It was time for Plan B.

Once he figured out what that was.

* * *

><p>Rachel checked her appearance in the lobby mirror a final time before heading out to the terrace where she knew Brittany, Quinn and Kurt would be waiting. Once Finn had (reluctantly) left her room to do the Walk of Shame back to his own room, she'd set to work making herself look presentable. She'd managed to cover all her hickeys with concealer and with the help of several different styling products, she'd gotten her hair back to normal, as well as her lips. She gave her face a final once over, hoping she didn't look so thoroughly <em>sexed<em>.

She spotted them immediately as soon as she walked out onto the terrace, whispering and giggling about something. The fact that the whispering and giggling stopped as soon as she walked up to the table confirmed her suspicions that they were talking about her.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerfully, sliding into the empty seat next to Brittany and ignoring their stares. She grabbed a piece of fruit off of Brittany's plate. "Did you guys eat already? I'm starving!"

"I bet," Kurt observed, the underlying meaning to his words going unnoticed by Rachel as she grabbed another piece of fruit off Brittany's plate. "What kind of makeup do you have on? You're glowing."

Rachel ignored this, choosing to concentrate on her fruit.

"So, Rachel, have you decided what to do about Jesse? Because we have some ideas," Quinn ventured, glancing at Brittany and Kurt, ready to get some answers.

Rachel finished chewing, beaming happily around the table. "I don't need to do anything. After I left you guys in the spa last night I ran into him. We had one final argument and he stormed out, telling me not to expect him to take me back." She glanced around the table, purposely having left out the part Jesse had said about falling in love with Finn.

"So Jesse left early last night?" Kurt asked carefully, exchanging triumphant glances with Quinn and Brittany. Based on Rachel's actions and the post sex glow about her, it was safe to say that she was one half of the couple Sue was out to kill.

"I guess so," Rachel responded, shrugging as she kept a careful eye on the door, watching for a certain person. "You guys were still in the spa."

"So what did you do last night, Rachel?" Brittany asked innocently, desperately wanting to ask _who_ Rachel did instead.

Rachel was saved from having to answer that by the timely arrival of Finn. The fact that her eyes lit up when she saw him walk through the door didn't go unnoticed by the other three. Like Rachel, he clearly had a post sex glow about him, confirming their suspicions about the owner of the ass on Sue's Wanted list.

He sat down next to Rachel, offering her a smile and trying to appear casual. "What's up guys?"

Brittany, Quinn and Kurt, knowing all too well what was up, simply smiled at Finn before Kurt finally spoke. "You tell us."

"I'm going to get some food," Rachel announced as she stood up.

"I'll go with you," Finn added quickly, standing up as well. Automatically, his hand landed on the small of her back, leading her towards the buffet. If his hand rested a little lower than it was supposed to and Rachel stood a little closer to him than normal, well that was just an accident.

"Could they be any more obvious?" Kurt smirked, watching as Finn whispered something in Rachel's ear. "Finn's never been very good at subtlety. I guarantee you he's telling her they're totally getting away with it, that we're clueless."

"Should we tell them Sue's after them?" Brittany asked, her eyes watching their every movement.

"Ladies, after this whole saga, don't you think we've earned the right to a little fun?" Kurt asked; an evil grin on his face. "I say, we say nothing and watch Sue put two and two together."

"I agree. Aunt Sue's like a bloodhound. It'll be entertaining." Quinn smirked, taking a final sip of her juice.

Brittany laughed. "She's over there now, questioning Puck."

Quinn laughed, ready to roll her eyes at the embarrassment that was Aunt Sue but did a double take at Brittany's statement. Realizing that Brittany was right and it was in fact her husband talking to Aunt Sue, she began squealing and jumped up to greet him. "Puck!"

"Q!" Noah ran over to Quinn, ignoring Sue's protests that she wasn't done questioning him, gathering her in his arms and hugging her tightly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, not removing her arms from around him.

"I heard from Nana that Jesse was here tormenting Rachel and as family Bad Ass, I couldn't let that slide. My mom offered to watch Beth so I could come over and find out just what was going on. Plus, I _may _have missed you," he joked, hugging Quinn again.

Happily, Quinn led him over to their table. "Brits! Look who's here!"

Brittany jumped up. "Did you bring Lord Tubbington?" she asked, looking around at the ground expectantly.

"Uh, no. I brought his vacation cat condo over to my mom's," Puck responded, biting his tongue to keep from pointing out that if he didn't bring his own _daughter_, he sure as hell wasn't going to bring a damn cat. _Especially_ a cat as spoiled as Lord Tubbington. That damn cat had refused to drink the water he'd put out because it was tap water and not Evian. He was positive that was the reason Lord Tubbington kept hissing and scratching at him every time Puck went near Beth. He shook his head, still amazed at the fact that he'd been forced to go out and buy a case of Evian just so he could play with his own daughter.

"Puck, this is Kurt Hummel. Kurt, this is my husband, Puck," Quinn announced brightly.

Puck shook Kurt's hand as he sat down. "So what's going on? Where is Rachel?" He looked around, spotting her getting some food. "Oh, never mind. I see her. Why does she look like she's had sex and a lot of it?" he asked as Kurt, Quinn and Brittany burst out laughing.

"Because she has, but won't admit it," Kurt gasped out between spurts of laughter.

"Is that Finn next to her? The tall dude staring at her?" He looked around, getting nods of confirmation from the other three.

"How did you know about Finn?" Quinn asked curiously. As far as she knew, Puck still believed they were here for a Bachelorette Party. She hadn't told Puck anything about finding Sam Evans, figuring it wasn't her place to tell, simply telling him that Rachel was having doubts and wanted to cancel the wedding.

"Nana talked to Rachel yesterday. She said that Rachel seemed very relieved to call off her wedding, that Jesse was here bothering Rachel and that she kept mentioning someone named Finn every other sentence. What's the deal with him?" he asked, watching as Rachel laughed at something Finn said.

"He's my brother," Kurt explained. "He and Rachel have been inseparable ever since they met."

"Their chemistry is amazing. I've never seen anything like it," Quinn added.

"And he's the reason she looks sexed? Not Jesse?" Puck surmised, watching them intently. "He's looking at her like she's the greatest thing since sliced bread."

"We're almost positive they got it on on the beach last night, but neither is admitting anything," Brittany replied.

"They don't know that we know," Kurt put in.

_"Rachel_ had sex on a beach? _My cousin _Rachel? The same girl who wouldn't play in the sand box because it was dirty?_"_ Puck asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Here's the best part. They did it under Aunt Sue's balcony and she heard. Now she's on the hunt for the 'pasty white' ass she got a glimpse of," Quinn added gleefully.

"_That's_ why she just told me I was exonerated due to my skin tone being too dark!" Puck exclaimed, laughing. "I ignored her; I didn't know what the hell she was talking about."

"Apparently they put on quite a show for Aunt Sue. She's really steamed about this. They have no idea that she knows," Quinn replied, breaking into a fresh round of giggles

"So where is Jesse?" Puck quickly asked, as Rachel started making her way back to the table, a glass of juice in each hand and Finn carrying their plates behind her.

"Supposedly he left last night, according to Rachel," Quinn replied, shrugging.

"Noah!" Rachel cried, spotting him immediately. She placed her juice glasses on the table, running over to hug him. "What are you doing here?"

"Nana said Jesse was bothering you, so I came over to set him straight. You know, most Bachelorette Parties don't involve cancelling the wedding," he commented, hugging Rachel tightly. "You ok?"

"I'm fine. It had to be done," Rachel replied, stepping back from her cousin and pulling Finn forward. "Noah, I'd like to you meet Finn. Finn, this is my cousin Noah, Quinn's husband," she announced, watching happily as Finn held out his hand to Noah.

"You're the Barbie Beheader. I've heard a lot about you," Finn said instantly as he shook Noah's hand. For the second time that day, Rachel found herself in shock that Finn remembered such a small detail about her.

"Hey, if Barbie would have just stayed in the Dream House and waited for Ken to come home instead of being a diva and all around Pain in the Ass, she might have been able to keep her head," Noah replied, chuckling at the memories of growing up with Rachel. He glanced at Rachel out of the corner of his eye, noticing how she was staring up at Finn adoringly.

Quinn, who'd just realized exactly how long it had been since she'd been with her husband, slipped her hand into Puck's. "I'm going to bring Puck to my room. We'll meet you all down by the pool." She practically pulled Puck out of the restaurant, anxious to be alone with him.

Rachel watched them go, wishing she could do the same thing to Finn. "I can't believe Noah's here!" she chirped as she sat down, Finn right beside her. She began eating her fruit with one hand while the other hand found Finn's leg under the table. Her hand rested lightly at the junction of his hip and leg, one finger reaching out to stroke his manhood lightly.

Finn glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Rachel was a portrait of innocence, conversing with Brittany while her fingers did the dirty work. Summoning up the mailman before he embarassed himself, he turned to Kurt, ready to play Rachel's game.

"Have you heard from Blaine?" he asked casually, his hand dropping below the table to make its way under the hemline of Rachel's cover up. He could see her stop talking momentarily but she recovered quickly and resumed talking. His hand continued on its trek, his finger easily finding the edge of her bathing suit and slipping under to stroke her.

"He's going back to the doctor tomorrow for his post surgical visit. Are you ok, Rachel?" Kurt asked in mock concern. He knew perfectly well why Rachel was biting her lip and closing her eyes, as did Brittany. These two had about as much sublety as Lady Gaga.

"I'm...I'm fine," Rachel breathed out, placing both of her hands primly on the table, a silent reminder to Finn that they were supposed to be acting normal. He immediately withdrew his hand, leaving it on his own lap as he continued eating his eggs.

"Are you sure? You look a little flushed," Brittany responded innocently.

"I'm fine. I just need a drink." She picked up her glass, chugging the juice down and hoping it calmed her.

"I can't wait to relax by the pool and take a nap. It was so _noisy_ here last night, don't you think so, Kurt?" Brittany pressed on, determined to get Rachel to admit _something._

"There's a lot of stray cats around. I bet they were making noise," Rachel offered. "Have you noticed a lot of cats around, Finny?"

Kurt's head snapped up at Rachel's use of the word _Finny_. He'd only ever heard Carole and Finn's grandmother call him that. Santana had always called him by his full given name, while his other two girlfriends had simply called him Finn. "What did you just say?"

"I said there's a lot of stray cats around here, then I asked Finn if he'd noticed," Rachel repeated, not realizing Kurt had caught her choice of moniker.

"_Right_. I'm going to go put on my bathing suit," Kurt announced. "You coming, Brittany?"

"Yeah, we'll see you two down there." She gave Finn and Rachel a wave as she followed Kurt out of the restaurant, easily catching up to him and whispering furiously.

Rachel watched them go, waiting till they were out of sight before she looped her arm around Finn's and placed a kiss on his shoulder. "I _told _you they wouldn't suspect a thing."

* * *

><p>"Oh, Luca, there you are! Can you cover for me? Anna just called, she wants me to meet her," Marco hissed, grabbing his brother by the sleeve. "The restaurant's practically empty; you've just got to clean a few more tables plus wait on a table of old people. Oh, and Rachel."<p>

Luca perked up at the mention of Rachel. "Rachel's there?"

"Don't go getting any ideas. She's eating with Finn," Marco cautioned. "They're-"

"Yeah, I got it, thanks," Luca hurried off, hoping to catch Rachel still eating.

Lucky for him, Rachel was still sitting at the table, completely alone. He casually went over to the table next to her, cleaning it off.

"Hi, Luca!" Rachel called cheerfully.

"Oh, Rachel, hey! I didn't see you sitting there!" Luca responded, hoping he sounded casual and not like a massive dork.

"Thank you for bringing my shoes back. I don't know how I forgot them." She knew perfectly well how she forgot them, but she wasn't about to tell Luca that. What she couldn't figure out was where Finn's shoes went. Luca had only brought back hers, and Finn had just gone down to see if his were still there while she finished her breakfast.

"Oh, it's no problem. I found them there and I remembered seeing you wearing shoes with bows on them, so I figured they were yours." He smiled at her, thinking that this was the conversation they were supposed to be having in her room. Preferably naked.

"So you and Jesse are done? I checked him out of his room last night," Luca questioned. He'd never understood what Rachel had seen in him. Even at Quinn's wedding, he'd sat at the table, critiquing the band while everyone else was having fun and drinking.

Rachel nodded happily. "He finally understood that I'm not going to marry him. Sometimes it seems as if someone is right for you, but they're really not, you know?"

He nodded as he cleared the dirty dishes off the table. If only she would realize that now about Finn, his life would be perfect. "For what it's worth, I never thought he was good enough for you. You deserve better."

"Thank you, Luca. That's very kind of you." Rachel smiled at him, making him forget what he was doing. He started putting the dirty dishes he'd just cleared from the table back _on_ the table, as if he was setting it.

"Luca, you just took all those dishes off," Rachel volunteered. He blushed and hastily began removing the dishes again.

"Where's Giulia? I haven't seen her all morning," Rachel asked, not wanting him to feel embarrassed.

"Oh, she went home to change, but she should be back by now. She's probably wherever Finn is," Luca replied, hoping this would infuriate Rachel.

"I doubt that. Finn's right there," Rachel replied, her smile grew wider as Finn approached the table. "Did you find them?"

"Yeah, I dropped them off at my room. Ready to go down to the pool?" he asked, offering her a hand to stand, which annoyed Luca. He started throwing the silverware into the bin harder at the smile Rachel was giving Finn.

"Bye Dude," Finn said, looking over at Luca, just noticing him.

"Bye Luca!" Rachel called over her shoulder as Finn led her away, his hand lightly on her back.

Luca watched them go, his eyes immediately noticing how Finn's hand snaked around her waist, wishing more than anything that that was him with his arm around Rachel.

* * *

><p>"God I've missed you," Quinn panted as she rolled off her husband.<p>

"These Italian guys don't do it for you?" Puck smirked as he climbed on top of her hoping for Round 3.

She totally owed him. He was stuck at home with a baby and a cat who came with more luggage than Metallica when they were on tour while she was off jetting around Italy. It had taken him almost five hours to figure out how to assemble that damn vacation cat condo Brittany kept with Lord Tubbington's travel accessories.

"Eh, I got tired of them," she joked. Puck pulled his lips off her neck to look at her. "I'm kidding!"

"You better be. I _was_ sent over here to kick ass, and I don't really care whose it is," he growled, sucking on her pulse point.

"What did you think of Finn?" Quinn asked, pushing him away, needing time to recover but also honestly curious what he thought.

"He seems like the complete opposite of Jesse," Puck analyzed, trying to resume his previous activities. "He seems pretty cool."

"He is. But what did you think of him with Rachel?" Quinn demanded, once again pushing him away.

"She was staring him like he was the only person in the room. I've never seen her look at Jesse like that," Puck said thoughtfully, lying back on the pillows. He placed his arms behind his head as Quinn laid her head on his chest. "And he was doing the same."

"Wait till you meet Rachel's competition. Luca's friend Giulia wants Finn in the worst way and Rachel's been furious."

Puck laughed. "He must like demanding, stubborn women. Did she tell him her whole life story? How else would he have known about my beheading her Barbies?"

"She tells him _everything._ They've been joined at the hip. The sexual tension that's been flowing between them has been electric." Quinn drummed her fingers lightly on her husband's stomach. "I really think he's it for her."

"Well if he can get Rachel to fuck in the sand, I'd say you're right. Nana seemed to think so, too. She said Rachel wouldn't stop talking about him, giving Nana the rundown of his life and mentioning him every other word. I'm supposed to take a picture of them and mail it to her. I tried to explain the concept of a cell phone and photo message, but she insists I mail it."

Quinn laughed. "She's not going to need you to mail a picture. I think she'll be meeting the real thing soon enough."

She jumped out of bed, pulling her bathing suit back on, despite Puck's protests. "Now come on, get your bathing suit on. Aunt Sue's on the warpath and I don't want to miss when she interrogates Finn and Rachel."

Puck smirked as he pulled on the bathing suit Quinn threw him. Q's crazy aunt interrogating Rachel about her sex life? He was so there.

Maybe he should mail _that_ to the family back home.

* * *

><p>"So how many hickeys do you think Rachel covered up?" Kurt asked, slathering sun block liberally onto his legs and rubbing it in.<p>

"I'm sure a fair few. I bet Finn has more though. Rachel's a biter," Brittany replied, smirking. "I can't wait for Finn to take his shirt off so we can see the damage she did."

"I can't believe how obvious they were. Did you see what they were doing at the table?"

Brittany laughed. "Rachel's never been subtle."

"She's sleeping with the king then," Kurt observed wryly. He finished applying his sun block and wiped his hands, ready to continue following Harry Potter on his quest to defeat Lord Voldemort. He settled back on his chair, opening to his marked page, Brittany right next to him playing with her iPod.

"Hey guys! What did we miss? Did they admit anything?"

Kurt and Brittany both looked up to see Quinn and Puck looking every bit as sexed as Finn and Rachel.

"You missed the class Rachel gave on _how to very poorly hide what your boyfriend is doing to you under the table _at breakfast," Kurt announced sarcastically. "Stick around, maybe she'll offer another class poolside."

"Damn, this guy's really getting Rachel to let loose. I bet her and Jesse never did it outside of a bed," Puck guessed as he sat down next to Brittany, pulling off his shirt and tossing it in Quinn's bag.

"They didn't. Jesse was afraid he'd hurt something," Brittany confirmed, causing Puck to shake his head as he began to put sunblock on his wife.

"So where are they now?" Quinn asked, holding up her hair to allow Puck to put the sunblock on her shoulders.

"Who knows? Probably making out and thinking no one can see," Kurt commented, going back to his book. "That's how they got caught in the elevator that time."

The four fell into a comfortable silence, each wondering when Finn and Rachel were finally going to let the world's worst kept secret see the light of day.

* * *

><p><em>Thank God<em> for elevators, Finn thought as he pinned Rachel against the wall, kissing her lips and neck furiously, his hands running along her legs clamped around his waist. This keeping their relationship a secret thing was even harder than he thought it would be, especially since all he wanted to do was scream from the top of the cliffs that he and Rachel were together.

They were totally doing a kick ass job of keeping it a secret though. No one suspected a thing.

The ding of the elevator forced them to separate. Rachel took a moment to fix her hair and straighten her cover up, turning to look at Finn. "How do I look?"

"Like you've been making out in an elevator," he responded, reaching down to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear before following her out of the elevator.

"Finn! Really? Did you mark me _again_?" she cried, stopping dead in her tracks to dig through her beach bag for a compact.

"Babe, relax. I was just kidding." He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her. "You look beautiful."

She calmed immediately at his words, glancing around quickly to make sure no one (meaning Brittany or Quinn) was around before pulling his face down to her level for a quick kiss.

They quickly located their little group, Rachel noticing immediately that Giulia had arrived and was once again sunbathing topless, to Puck's delight.

Giulia was the first to notice the arrival of Finn and Rachel. "_Ciao_ Finn," she purred, patting the chair next to hers. She lowered her sunglasses to peer at Rachel. "Rachele! You have the sex, yes!"

Everyone turned to stare at Rachel, who blushed. "No, Giulia, I did not have the sex."

"_Si_, I see in your face. You have the very good sex," Giulia insisted, watching as Rachel ignored the stares of the group and stripped off her cover up, handing her bottle of sun block to Finn. Giulia shrugged. "_Va bene._ If you want to be quiet about it, I not say anything."

Finn groaned internally at the sight of the pink bikini with the hearts on it as he started applying sun block to Rachel's shoulders. She glanced over her shoulder, smirking, knowing _exactly_ what that bathing suit was doing to him.

Somehow, he managed to finish applying the sunblock to her without incident, handing the bottle back to her so he could pull off his shirt. All eyes turned on Finn, curious to see what mementos of last night Finn was carrying around. To Brittany's disappointment, there didn't seem to be too many, just some light marks that could barely qualify.

Finn sighed in relief when the group lost interest in his chest, thanking God that Rachel had had the foresight to insist that she cover his hickeys in waterproof concealer, just like she'd done to her own. He sat down on the chair, ready to stare at Rachel.

"Here comes Aunt Sue!" Quinn announced, nodding her head towards the door. Puck, Brittany and Kurt immediately sat up, watching Aunt Sue, legal pad in hand, storm across the pool area in their direction.

Rachel, not seeing what was so interesting about Aunt Sue's arrival, stepped over to the pool, lowering one foot in to test the water.

To Quinn's extreme disappointment, Aunt Sue didn't seem to want to question Finn, since she brushed right past his chair. Rachel, who'd been dragging one foot in the water as she smiled at Finn, chose that moment to take her foot out of the water. She started to step towards Finn, just as Sue passed, earning a shove from Sue. Rachel screamed as she toppled backwards into the water. Finn jumped off his chair and rushed to the side of the pool, ready to make sure she was ok.

Rachel's scream stopped Sue dead in her tracks. Slowly, she turned around, pointing at Rachel, who'd just surfaced.

"_You."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: This is SO not where I thought the chapter was going to go! I had a totally different ending in mind, which will now be the ending of the next chapter. Songs used were "At Last" by Etta James, "The Search is Over" by Survivor and "You Had Me From Hello" by Bon Jovi, all of which are truly beautiful songs._**


	17. Operation Pale Buns

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>"We are meant for each other and not meant for each other. It's a contradiction."<em>**

**_- Vicky Cristina Barcelona_**

* * *

><p>"<em>You."<em>

The word hung in the air, loaded with accusation. Sue stayed rooted to the spot, her finger trained on Rachel, who'd surfaced and made her way to the edge of the pool.

Finn, barely resisting the urge to grab Sue and shove _her_ in the pool for knocking Rachel in, crouched down along the edge, holding out his hands to pull Rachel out. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Embarrassed, but fine." She took his hands; letting him hoist her out of the pool while Puck, Quinn, Brittany and Kurt all sat up, ready to watch the show.

Finn immediately began a visual inspection of her, his eyes running all over her body while his hands maintained their grip on hers. Satisfied that she was ok, he pulled her towards him as he addressed Sue. "Are you insane? She could have been hurt!"

"She should have thought of that before she damaged my ear drums with all her screaming," Sue stated venomously, still pointing at Rachel.

"She didn't start screaming until _you_ pushed her in," Finn pointed out, pulling Rachel even closer to him.

"You're as dumb as you are tall, aren't you? I'm not talking about now. I'm talking about the show I was treated to last night." Sue narrowed her eyes at Rachel. "You might not know what I'm talking about, but _she_ certainly does."

"I assure you I _don't _know what you're talking about, Sue," Rachel cut in, stepping in front of Finn. Neither of them noticed the quartet of eyes moving back and forth on the chairs next to them, watching the confrontation as if it was a tennis match.

"You're really going to play dumb, Jenna Jameson? Let me refresh your memory then." Sue stepped towards Rachel, the venom still evident in her eyes.

Puck leaned forward in anticipation, a smirk on his face as Sue began moaning. "_There….Oooo so good right there…Oh God….YES….YES...YES!_" She finished her moans to stare at Rachel again. "I just about vomited into my nightly protein shake."

Rachel listened horrified, her hand gripping Finn's arm. She'd _never_ been more embarrassed and that included the time she'd let Brittany give her that home perm. Brittany had sworn she'd have curls like Taylor Swift, but she'd ended up bearing a _very _strong resemblance to Nana's poodle, Clark. Noah had laughed about that for _months_, offering to take her for walks and constantly calling her Clark and she was sure he'd have a field day with this also.

Fortunately for her, Finn rose to her defense, pulling her behind him protectively. "You have no proof that those were Rachel's screams you heard, Sue."

"Aw, look Rachel. Tall, dark and stupid is trying to protect you. Save it, Gigantor. Those screams are _seared _in my brain, along with the pale ass of her partner in crime."

Finn and Rachel exchanged a glance just as Antonia came outside, her arms loaded down with fresh towels. Sue noticed her immediately, flagging her over to join the little group. "Ah, Antonia, perfect timing. You'll be happy to know that I've discovered one half of the sexual degenerates who desecrated the beach under my balcony." She pointed to Rachel. "_Her. _My recommendation is immediate branding. I'll even let you use my branding iron. She'll bear my initials forever on her skin as a reminder to control her sexual urges."

Antonia, not wanting to know why Sue even _had_ a branding iron, simply rolled her eyes. "Sue, if a couple chose to make love on the beach, that is _none_ of your business. It's between them. I am not branding anyone."

"What about flogging then?" Sue asked, ignoring all but the last words Antonia spoke. "She should be punished in the piazza immediately as a warning to all deviants. I can't stress enough the impact a good public flogging has."

"Sue! Enough! Stop harassing Rachel! Drop this investigation immediately or you'll have to leave," Antonia threatened. Satisfied with Sue's gasp, she gave Rachel a reassuring smile before hurrying towards the bar area.

Sue focused her anger back on Rachel. "Don't think you've won. This isn't over, not by a long shot."

She turned to storm away, but whirled around to face Rachel again after only a few steps. "On second thought, I think I'll save the branding for your partner in this sexual debauchery. The idea of my initials on that perfect ass is too great to ignore. Tell you what, I'm feeling generous today; I'll even let you pick the spot. Next time you're grabbing that tight ass, think about where on it you'd like to see the letters _SS._"

Laughing manically, she stormed off, ready to resume her hunt for the owner of the offending ass.

Rachel watched her go, her eyes narrowing in anger. Only Finn's hands on her shoulders prevented her from going after Sue and branding _her. _The reassuring feeling of Finn rubbing her shoulders instantly calmed her and she closed her eyes at the comforting feeling.

"You getting freaky on the beach, Rachel?"

The mocking tone of her cousin's voice snapped her back to reality and she reluctantly opened her eyes to face the smirking faces of her cousin and friends. "I don't know what Sue was talking about, Noah."

She stalked over to her chair, grabbing a magazine from her bag and flipping the pages forcibly, the pages tearing from her strength, determined to deny, deny, deny. She concentrated on the article in front of her, her anger prohibiting her from noticing that the magazine was being held upside down. She saw Finn settle in next to her out of the corner of her eye, noticing immediately that Giulia turned onto her side to face Finn.

"_Right_. If I was falsely accused, I'd be reading a magazine upside down too," Noah observed.

Rachel scowled, annoyed to see that Noah was right. "Seriously, who invited you? This was a _girls_ trip."

"And the Johnsons Finn and Kurt are packing would be what, Rachel? Strap-ons?" he commented, pleased that Rachel's scowl got even deeper as she threw the magazine on floor and stood up.

"I'm going to get a drink, unless someone else has something they'd like to falsely accuse me of?" She stormed off, not waiting for their response. Finn jumped up, ready to go after her, but was stopped by Puck.

"I'll go talk to her. She's my cousin, and I've had years of experience dealing with her being pissed considering I was usually the cause of it," Puck explained, hurrying after her. To his surprise, she didn't go to the bar right by the pool; instead she'd stormed off to the bar inside, well out of view of the pool area. He managed to catch up with her at the bar as she flopped onto a stool.

"I'll take a Peroni," he told the bartender as he grabbed the stool next to Rachel, earning a glare of massive proportions from her.

"Come to humiliate me more?" she demanded, wishing her cocktail was in front of her already so she could escape.

"Nope, just confused. Nana sent me here because she thought Jesse was pressuring you and you'd be upset. She sent me to protect you and send his ass packing. Instead, I find Jesse already gone and you clearly happier than I've ever seen you."

Rachel said nothing, wishing Puck would just disappear as she stared off into space, hoping the waiter would bring her drink sometime today.

"And I think it's pretty obvious _why_ you're happy. I've only been here a few hours and even I can see that Finn's bringing out a different side of you."

Rachel blushed at his words and he smiled before going on.

"St. Jackass just brought you down. I'm not saying it wasn't awesome not having you boss everyone around, but that's what makes you, you. You're bossy, demanding and stubborn. It was like he was trying to turn you into a Stepford Wife or something. Hell, the dude told me I needed to always dress up in case someone asked me about him. He didn't want people to think that his in-laws were riff raff," he continued. "Finn on the other hand, literally makes you glow. I haven't seen you smile so much in a long time. It looks good on you. And if I can see it, you know everyone else can see it too."

"Is it that obvious?" Rachel finally asked, looking down at the counter.

"Fuck, yeah. Even Nana said it," Noah confirmed as he accepted his beer from the waiter.

"What do you mean, Nana said it?" Rachel demanded, ignoring the waiter as he placed her cocktail in front of her along with a beer.

"Who's that beer for?" Noah questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Answer my question, Noah."

"You answer mine first."

"Fine. The beer is for Finn. I know he likes this type of beer. Now answer my question." She crossed her arms, waiting expectantly, glaring at him.

"Nana said that when you called her, you couldn't stop talking about Finn, that whenever you mentioned him, your voice instantly got happier, and when you mentioned Jesse, you immediately brought the conversation back to Finn."

"Really? Nana said that?" Rachel's eyes grew wide for a moment before taking on a surprised look. Had she really talked about Finn so much that even Nana could tell _from across an ocean_?

"Yeah. She kept going on about some story she said she told you." He shrugged, taking a swig of his beer and looking at his little cousin with a knowing glance. "So come out with it. My prudish, prissy cousin got it on with Gigantor under Scary Sue's balcony, right?"

Again, Rachel said nothing, the blush on her face telling Puck all he needed to know.

"I knew it!" Noah exclaimed, slamming his beer down on the bar in triumph. "I gotta say; I'm just a _little _shocked that the same girl who used to refuse to play in my sandbox got busy on the beach."

"I only refused to play in your sandbox because you kept throwing sand at me!" Rachel snapped, her prissy younger self coming out. "_And_ because you liked to bury the worms you collected in there. Which you also threw at me, I might add."

"Well, if you weren't such a pain in the ass about what shovel and pail you used, I wouldn't have needed to throw sand at you." He nudged Rachel with his shoulder, chuckling. "Come on now, admit it. It's Finn's white ass that Sue has been screaming about wanting to brand, isn't it?"

"Yes." Rachel blushed scarlet, but the admission felt so _freeing._ Now that Noah knew, if she wanted to touch or kiss Finn in front of Noah, she could. She almost wished Finn was next to her right now, just so she could. It would be sweet payback for all the parties she'd gone to with Noah in high school where he'd promptly abandon her for the first slutty lap he could find. Inevitably at the end of the night, she'd have to wait at least 20 minutes while he sucked face in goodbye right in front of her.

"Good for you, Rachel. Bout time you experienced killer sex. I'd say you went a few rounds this morning also, am I right?" He gave a furiously blushing Rachel a high five.

Still blushing, Rachel bit her lip and looked down at Finn's beer to keep the huge smile she could feel forming off her face.

"From what I heard, it sounds like you put on a good show for Sue. You realize that crazy old bat's gonna kill you two though," Noah commented, taking another swig of beer.

"You can't tell her! I don't want her harassing Finn!" Rachel cried, suddenly worried for the safety of Finn's ass. She _really_ liked it the way it was and had no desire to tattoo it with Sue's initials.

"Why? You want to tattoo the initials _RB _on there instead?" He smirked, planning on having fun with this. "She won't rest till she finds out whose ass that is. She's like a fucking bloodhound. Supposedly, she interrogated Noriega or some shit like that."

Rachel gripped his arm. "I'm serious, Noah. You _can't_ tell Sue. Or anyone else for that matter."

"Why? It's not like you're engaged anymore. Wait, is_ Finn_ engaged?" Noah spat out, ready to go kick Finn's ass if need be.

"Of course he's not engaged. Don't be stupid, Noah," Rachel replied tersely, unwilling to explain that she wanted to keep Finn to herself for a while.

"Good. Here comes Loverboy now," he responded, looking over Rachel's shoulder. Rachel immediately turned, but not before Noah saw a huge smile forming on her face at the sight of Finn hurrying towards them.

"Rach!" Finn called as he got closer. "I've been looking for you. I wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I'm fine, Finn." She waited until he put his arm on the back of her chair before she held out his beer. "I got you a beer."

"Thanks." He moved to take the beer from her, wanting desperately to kiss her, but knowing he couldn't since her cousin was sitting right next to her. He arched an eyebrow when she yanked the beer away from his grasp. "What are you doing?"

"That's it? Just thanks?" she asked, wrapping her other arm around his waist. He gazed down at the arm, his questioning eyes coming up to find her twinkling ones. "Noah _knows_, Finny."

Finn glanced at Puck, who simply held out his beer in salute before turning his attention back to Rachel. She smiled at him, promptly pulling his face down to hers for a kiss. Finn; delighted by this turn of events, eagerly reciprocated, his hands gently cupping her face.

"Alright, enough. Just because I know, doesn't mean I want to see it," Noah cut in, forcing them to separate.

"Sorry, man." Finn took his beer from Rachel, his other hand resting easily on her leg as he smiled sheepishly at Puck.

"No problem. Heard Sue's got a branding iron with your name on it." He smirked, taking a swig of beer. "Wouldn't want to be in your shoes, man. She's not gonna rest until she's got an _S_ on each ass cheek."

Finn flinched as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I guess we should have picked a better place, huh?"

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Quinn and I have gotten busy on that beach more times than I can count. Of course, we're not stupid enough to do it right under Sue's balcony."

"It's not just Finn's rear that you need to keep secret, Noah," Rachel pressed, rubbing her hand over Finn's soothingly. "_Nobody_ knows that we're together, not even Quinn or Brits. We wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while."

Noah said nothing, choosing to burst out laughing instead.

"And what is so funny?" Rachel demanded.

"You. You two honestly think nobody knows?" Noah gasped out between bursts of laughter.

"No one suspects a thing," Rachel announced proudly as Finn nodded next to her. "We've been doing an excellent job of keeping it a secret."

This only made Noah laugh harder, which increased Rachel's ire. "Why are you laughing?"

"For a Broadway actress, you really need to work on controlling the emotions on your face. _Everyone_ except for Sue knows that you two got it on last night and that you two like each other. It's all they've been talking about."

"Don't listen to him, Finn. He's just saying that to mess with me," Rachel replied, narrowing her eyes at her still laughing cousin. "This is just like the time when we were nine and he convinced me that Barbra Streisand was coming over for dinner."

Noah only laughed harder, clutching his sides as he howled. "I forgot about that! You spent all day trying to figure out how to make broccoli flavored cookies!"

In spite of the situation at hand, Finn quirked an amused eyebrow at Rachel. "Seriously? Broccoli flavored cookies?"

"The letter I got from Barbra _specifically_ requested broccoli flavored cookies!" Rachel huffed, crossing her arms on her chest. "How was I supposed to know that Noah had stolen my fan club letter and written a response back pretending to be Barbra?"

Finn couldn't help but chuckle, earning a glare and a smack on the shoulder from Rachel. "Sorry, Baby, but I can't believe you fell for that."

"Stick with me, Finn, and I'll tell you what Rachel was _really _like growing up. I'm sure she gave you the version where I tormented her and she was perfect."

"As much as I'd _love_ to hear you skewer the story of our childhood, I'm much more interested in why you're trying to make me believe that everybody knows," Rachel interjected, crossing her arms and staring at Noah.

"Rachel, believe me when I tell you that the odds of me shitting you about this is as likely as Brittany becoming a rocket scientist. I'm telling you, _everybody knows._"

"I think he's serious, Rach," Finn observed, staring at Puck. Rachel bit her lip at Finn's words, peering at Noah intently, her eyes searching for any hint of a lie.

"You're telling the truth, aren't you?" Rachel slowly asked. "Everyone knows?"

"Well, except for Sue. You'd better keep it that way," Noah warned. "I didn't mind coming here to set Jesse straight, but I am _not_ taking on Sue."

He hopped off his stool, grabbing his beer. "I'm going back by the pool. Try to keep the PDA to a minimum if you want Finn's ass to stay like it is, Rachel."

Rachel watched him go, wanting nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face. He _would_ show up just in time to see her humiliated by Sue. Her thoughts were interrupted by an arm wrapping around her waist and a pair of lips pressing against her cheek.

"He's right, you know," Finn said, pulling his lips off her cheek reluctantly. "I'd rather not have my ass branded, so as much as it's gonna kill me, we gotta keep the PDA down." He leaned closer to her ear. "In public, at least," he whispered as he helped Rachel off her stool.

Rachel smiled up at him, glancing around quickly in a Sue Check before slipping her hand into his. Hand in hand, they walked out to the pool area, quickly releasing them when they realized that Sue was sitting at the bar, interrogating the bartender about his activities last night and his relationship with Rachel.

The area they'd previously occupied was empty. Rachel glanced around in confusion, wondering where everyone had disappeared to. A quick glance over the railing at the beach below showed Giulia, Brittany and Kurt happily floating on rafts in the sea, while Noah and Quinn were lying on the beach.

Walking quickly past Sue, Rachel and Finn hurried down onto the beach.

"I'll get you a raft," Finn offered, hurrying towards the little shed where they were kept.

Rachel smiled as she passed their spot from last night, now cordoned off with traffic cones and yellow police tape thanks to Sue, making a beeline for Noah, who'd just climbed on top of Quinn, kissing her neck.

"Well isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?" Rachel asked, smirking. "Just because I know, doesn't mean I want to see it, Noah," she taunted; throwing his words from earlier back at him.

"You can shove it Rachel," Noah responded, not bothering to look up at her as he continued kissing his wife's neck. "Unlike your boy, I don't have a bounty out for my ass so I'm free to make out with my wife anywhere I want."

Quinn shoved her husband off of her once his words registered, quickly sitting up. "So it _was_ Finn! I knew it!"

"Shh! Not so loud! We don't want Sue and her branding iron to find out," Rachel hissed, glancing around to make sure Sue was nowhere near.

Quinn clapped her hands excitedly. "This is huge. We have to get Brits and discuss this."

Her husband got a put out look on his face as she stood up. "What about me, Q?" he whined. "I haven't seen you in forever. You _know_ I'm like a sex shark."

Quinn rolled her eyes just as Finn walked up to them with a raft. "I think you can survive a few minutes of girl talk."

"Here you go Rach," Finn said cheerfully, handing her the raft and hoping they could use it to travel away from the shore for some alone time.

Quinn apparently had other plans, because she grabbed her own raft in one hand and Rachel's hand in the other. "Sorry Finn, but I've got to talk to Rachel. Keep Puck company," she directed, towing Rachel away.

Rachel smiled apologetically at him as Quinn pulled her away. He returned the smile, settling himself onto the sand next to Puck.

"What was that about?" he asked, burying his toes in the sand.

Puck smirked. "My wife has just had official confirmation that you two did the nasty last night. Guarantee you they're going out there to discuss your performance in excruciating detail with Brittany."

"You think so?" Finn asked nervously, watching as Rachel and Quinn paddled their rafts over to Brittany and Kurt, wondering what Rachel would say.

"I know so. It's what chicks do," Puck declared. He peered at Finn. "You nervous? I highly doubt Rachel's gonna give you a bad review."

"What? No!" Finn replied a little too quickly, still doubting that's what the girls were discussing. His doubts were gone as soon as he saw Kurt start paddling frantically away from the girls, falling off his raft in his effort to get away from the trio.

"I'd say your brother's reaction means they started talking about size and width," Puck announced, watching closely as Kurt emerged and began hustling towards the shore as if he'd just seen a shark in the water.

Blushing furiously, Finn simply stared at the girls, his mouth hanging open. They'd each straddled their rafts, holding onto one another's so they made a tight little circle, excluding Giulia, who was floating a distance away.

"So Quinn's gonna have my balls on a platter if I don't get some details about what's going on with you two from you." He refused to look at Finn, not particularly wanting to hear these details about his cousin, but knew it would be detrimental to his _own_ sex life if he didn't find out.

"Uh, ok," Finn commented, wondering what Quinn would want him to find out.

"Oral?" Puck asked after a moment, his eyes fixed on the sea.

"Yeah," Finn replied, also staring determinedly out to sea.

"Give or receive?"

"Both."

"Sex good?"

"Fucking amazing."

"She ride you?"

"This morning yes, last night no."

"Hit it from behind?"

"Yeah."

"Shower sex?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, I'm good."

Finn sighed, relieved that detailed conversation was over. They'd covered everything in thirty seconds, what else could the girls possibly have to talk about?

"I'm all for girl talk, but that was more than I _ever_ needed to know about you," Kurt announced, dropping his raft next to his towel and lying down. "I'm scarred for life."

"Told you so," Puck replied, lying back on his towel with a satisfied smirk.

* * *

><p>Quinn watched Kurt go with a pleased look on her face. She <em>knew<em> that comment about hand and feet size being an indicator would get Kurt to leave. She turned to Rachel, ready to hear all the details. "Ok, spill. How did it happen?"

"I don't know. One minute we're arguing about me finding Sam, since he said he knew about Jacob being fake, and the next thing I know, I'm in his arms and we're kissing." Rachel smiled, hugging her arms to her chest, lost in her memories.

"How was it?" Brittany asked, trying hard not to smile herself. She knew it had been a good idea to give Finn that condom.

"It was..._amazing._" Rachel said slowly. "Our bodies were totally in sync, like we'd been doing this forever. I've never met anyone so caring and generous."

"He made sure you came first?" Brittany guessed, Quinn nodding beside her.

"He did, but it's not just that. We were both covered in sand, but once he realized that I was itchy from the sand, he carried me to the sea and washed me off, ignoring the sand sticking to him just to make sure I was happy."

"_Awww!_" Brittany and Quinn voiced simultaneously.

"I know!" Rachel squealed, her eyes finding Finn on the beach, tossing a ball back and forth with Noah, while Kurt read nearby.

Her eyes darted to Giulia, who was lying on a nearby raft, sound asleep. Quinn had given her raft a push when she'd gotten into the water, helping Giulia drift out of earshot. Satisfied that Giulia couldn't hear anything, she looked at Quinn, who'd opened her mouth to speak.

"So I guess the insane chemistry you two have also translates to insane sexual chemistry?"

Rachel blushed. "He knew what I wanted without me saying anything."

She dragged her hand in the water around her as she again snuck a glance at Finn, who'd stopped tossing the ball to talk to Sue. "Uh oh."

Quinn and Brittany followed her gaze, realizing immediately why Rachel had said that.

Rachel released her hold on Brittany's raft to start paddling towards the shore, ready to rescue Finn, only to be stopped by Quinn.

"No. Let Finn and Puck deal with it. You being there is only going to tip Aunt Sue off."

Rachel frowned, realizing the wisdom of Quinn's words, but not liking them. She stopped paddling, staring intently at Finn, dying to know what Sue was saying to him.

Somehow, she doubted that Sue was asking for the time.

* * *

><p>"Seriously? You'd pick Ohio State over Notre Dame?" Puck asked, tossing the ball back to Finn, who in his opinion, was turning out to be a huge upgrade over Jesse. He was actually able to talk sports with Finn and have a catch, something Jesse had always refused to do, citing a lack of sports knowledge and fearing damage to his face.<p>

"Gotta stick with my alma mater," Finn replied, launching the ball back towards Puck.

The ball never made to Puck, since it was snatched out of mid-air by one Sue Sylvester.

"Neil, Lady, You. Got a few questions," she announced, snapping her fingers to get Kurt's attention. He ignored her, continuing to read his book.

"Sue, give us the ball back. We're not bothering you," Puck objected. Finn stayed silent, shifting so that Sue couldn't get a view of his backside. He didn't know how much she'd actually seen of his ass, but he wasn't taking any chances.

"Answer my questions and you'll get it back if I feel like it," Sue directed, placing the ball firmly under her arm.

"Are you seriously wasting your time interrogating everyone? Why don't you just go get laid on the beach yourself? It worked wonders for Rachel's personality," Puck suggested, earning snorts of laughter from Finn and Kurt.

Sue ignored his remark; too busy looking down at her clipboard. "Listen up, boys. As of zero-nine hundred hours _Operation Pale Buns_ is a go. I'm afraid I'm going to need each of you to drop your pants."

"Not gonna happen Sue. You just wanna get a look at what we're packing," Puck said calmly, poking the ball out from under Sue's arm and tossing it to Finn.

"You think this is funny, Puckerman?" Sue demanded, pulling a camera out of her pocket. "My eyes and ears were accosted last night with the sights and sounds of sexual debauchery. As we speak, the local police sketch artist is drawing a picture of the offending ass based on my description, which is why I need you three to drop your pants. Gotta have a photo to compare to once the sketch arrives. I've already eliminated the Uggos, Fatties and Geeks, which leaves you three on the next rung up the social ladder."

Finn stayed silent, wondering if she really had a police artist drawing a picture of his ass. The whole thing would be funny, if Sue wasn't so scary. He'd never in his life had sex in a public place and it figured that the one time he did, it would be witnessed by a psycho.

Kurt looked up from his book. "You already exonerated my ass, Sue."

"Upon initial inspection, yes, but until the photo comparison allows me to _officially_ eliminate you, you're still a crime suspect, Lady. Same goes for you, Puckerman. That dark skin tone could be a spray tan to throw me off the scent."

Kurt rolled his eyes, burying his face back in his book.

Undaunted by Kurt's reaction, Sue plowed on. "Recent developments have forced me to reconsider who I've eliminated already."

"Oh really? And what would that be?" Kurt asked in spite of himself.

"Glad you asked, Ladyface, since it's of particular interest to you." Sue pulled a plastic baggie out of her pocket. "Feast your eyes on this, boys."

She held the baggie by the corner, allowing all three to see that it contained an empty condom wrapper. Finn gulped, realizing that he must not have thrown it away when he threw away the condom.

"What we have here is called evidence. Upon doing my initial sweep of the crime scene, I came upon this bad boy lying on the sand. You'll notice that it's a condom wrapper from the Gay Pride Rally that went on yesterday and unless I'm sadly mistaken, there's only one person here who'd be likely to show his face at one of those poor excuses for a group orgy. Care to explain, Porcelain?"

"I have nothing to say other than the idea that I would have sex with Rachel is _revolting_," Kurt responded airily, once again going back to his book.

Finn opened his mouth to protest Kurt's statement, earning a smack to the back of the head from Puck while Sue's attention was still fixated on Kurt.

"Ah yes, Rachel. Where is the little sex fiend? I'm going to need her to identify the firmness of the ass using various pieces of fruit." Sue looked from one boy to another, waiting for her question to be answered.

Not getting an answer, she turned her attention on Finn. "You're awfully quiet over there, Gigantor. No witty comebacks like these two?"

"I'm not dropping my pants Sue," Finn said firmly. The _only_ woman he'd be dropping his pants for was currently floating on a raft watching him talk with Sue. He could feel Rachel's eyes boring into him without even looking at her.

"That's a shame. I'm afraid I'll have to perform a Citizen's Arrest then."

"You can't do that, you're not in the US," Puck pointed out, Finn nodding eagerly next to him not quite sure what a Citizen's Arrest was. Hopefully, Puck was right that it can't be performed outside the United States.

"Sue! What did I tell you? Leave my patrons alone!" Antonia called down from the pool deck, shaking her fist at Sue.

Sue turned her attention back to Kurt. "This isn't over, Porcelain. I'm listing you as an accomplice and possible main suspect."

They watched her stride away, heading up the stairs to brief Antonia about the latest developments.

Kurt turned on his brother immediately. "Explain to me how _you_ have sex on the beach with a _woman_ and _I'm _considered the prime suspect?"

"Well it _is_ all your fault, Kurt. You and Brittany gave me that condom," Finn pointed out, laughing at Kurt's sputtering as he headed towards the water with Puck. They waded easily out to where the girls had been watching the showdown with Sue.

"What did she say?" Rachel demanded, looking from Finn to Noah, both of whom made their way to the rafts of their respective girls.

"She said she's got some fruit for you to squeeze, because she needs to know how firm that ass was," Noah replied smirking. He jumped onto Quinn's raft, not realizing that the extra weight would essentially submerge the raft and cause Quinn to slide right off and into the water.

"Puck!" she screeched, as he plunged his hands into the water to pull his wife out.

"Sorry, babe." He pulled her onto the raft, situating her in front of him, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss against her neck. "But you know you look even hotter wet."

Rachel laughed as Quinn playfully smacked Noah's arm. She turned to Finn, who was standing next to her raft, one hand behind her, the other resting on her leg. "Why does she want to compare your ass to fruit?"

"Get this. The woman is having a police sketch artist draw a picture based on her description of my ass." Finn rolled his eyes, still not quite believing Sue's antics. "She wanted us to drop our pants so she could photograph our asses to compare to the police sketch."

The girls all laughed at Sue's absurd demands. Rachel ran her hand through Finn's hair affectionately. "Did she suspect you?"

It was Finn's turn to laugh. "That's the best part. Because the condom Brittany gave me was a Gay Pride condom, Kurt's under suspicion. He's highly offended that Sue thinks he would have sex with you."

"Good. Let her think that," Rachel decided, wrapping an arm around Finn's neck. "Maybe she'll get bored and drop it."

"Rachel, you're talking about the same woman who once wrote down what each kid who came to her door on Halloween was wearing and then refused to give them candy that night _and_ the next year if she didn't like their costume. She's _not_ going to drop this," Quinn pointed out, Puck nodding in agreement from his position behind her.

"I bet she tries to put together a lineup of asses," Puck added. He turned to Finn. "You got any distinguishing features on that thing?"

"I'll have you know, Noah, that Finn's rear is lovely," Rachel snapped. "Sue should consider herself lucky that she got to see it."

Finn blushed at Rachel's compliment. He'd always been kind of insecure about his body, something he'd shared with Rachel while they were taking care of Kurt. Hearing Rachel defend his body like that just made her even more awesome in his opinion and he suddenly felt the need to show her how awesome he thought she was.

"Thanks Rach, but I don't think Sue shares your opinion," Finn commented, kissing her temple. He pulled her face towards his, placing his lips tenderly on hers. Rachel's hand came up to rest on his cheek as her tongue darted out to run across his bottom lip. Completely engrossed in each other, they forgot about the little group around them, letting their kiss become more heated.

"Aww, look how cute they are!" Brittany squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. "Rachel, try swirling your tongue counterclockwise in his mouth. Artie really likes it when I do that."

Brittany's advice brought them back to reality and they reluctantly pulled away from each other, their eyes finding an excited Brittany and Quinn, along with a ready-to-mock Puck.

"I'll have to remember that for the next time Finn and I are alone, Brits," Rachel said, bracing herself for the teasing she was sure was about to come from Puck. She wove her arm through Finn's, kissing his shoulder, her eyes daring Noah to make a comment.

To her surprise, he didn't. Instead, he arched an eyebrow and stared at Finn. "Seriously, Dude. Sue is going to kill you. It's only a matter of time before she connects the ass cheeks and realizes it was you."

"He's right, Finny. What are we going to do?" Rachel asked worriedly, biting her lip. "Sue's on the hunt."

"I don't know," Finn admitted, dropping a kiss on her head for reassurance.

"Well you two better figure it out quick, before Sue barges in on you laying some pipe," Puck warned as he paddled he and Quinn away, ready to have some quality time with his wife.

Brittany nodded in agreement as she lay down and took in the sun.

"They're right. We need to think of something," Finn added as he untangled his arm from Rachel's. He placed a hand on each of Rachel's legs and began pushing her raft.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, letting herself drift along on the raft, enjoying the feeling of Finn's hands gripping her thighs.

"I've decided that the only way we're going to think of something is if we have some alone time," Finn announced, still pushing. The water was only chest high on him, so he was easily able to walk and push the raft at the same time.

"Alone time? Isn't that what got us into trouble in the first place?" Rachel asked, a smile gracing her lips as she leaned towards him.

"Well that, and the fact that you can't keep your hands off me," Finn replied, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Rachel gasped, poking Finn in the chest. "_You _kissed _me_ last night, if I remember correctly."

"True, but you kissed me first, back in Rome," Finn responded, still pushing the raft.

"I don't remember that."

"Maybe you need a reminder."

"Maybe."

Satisfied that they were far enough away from the shore and Sue, he pulled her off the raft, holding her close to his body and guiding her legs to clamp around his waist. Her hands automatically came to rest around his neck. "Do you remember now?"

"It_ seems_ familiar, but I might need more reminding," Rachel said thoughtfully, playing along.

Grinning, he pulled her face to his, fusing their lips together. Rachel immediately melted into him, her mind going blank and that familiar warm feeling spreading throughout her body.

"Hey! Do I need to turn the hose on you two?"

Rachel tore her lips away from Finn's to glare at her cousin, who'd floated his raft over to them, once again interrupting their kissing. "Thank you for ruining the moment yet _again_, Noah."

"You're welcome. That's what you get for cockblocking me before," he replied, splashing some water at Rachel, only to be stopped by Quinn.

"Rachel, we came over for a legitimate reason. Aunt Sue is on the beach, so you two better separate," Quinn warned. Rachel and Finn looked towards the beach to see Sue, bullhorn in hand, once again talking to Kurt.

Rachel remained in Finn's arms. "She can't possibly see us from there."

"Don't be so sure," Quinn warned. "She's not above breaking out the binoculars. What could she possibly have to say to Kurt now?"

"I don't know, but this can't be good," Finn commented as he unwrapped Rachel from around him, despite her protests. "If Kurt gets pissed enough, he'll totally use this to blackmail me. This will be worse than the time he saw my browser history back in high school." He peered at Sue, who'd stalked over to the waterline, holding something up to her mouth. "What's she doing? Is that a bullhorn?"

"_Attention beach goers! I'm looking for one Rachel Berry, a dwarf sized brunette with a strange affinity for pale white asses! Anyone with information about her whereabouts, please come see me. I'll be hanging out with Lady Trousers over here."_

All eyes turned to Rachel, who blanched. "What should I do?"

"I think you'd better go out there and see what she wants. She's only going to get worse," Puck replied. This trip was _so_ worth it. He was getting so much new material to torment Rachel with.

"We'll all go with you," Brittany offered.

"Just don't go near her, Finn," Quinn advised. Finn nodded, squeezing Rachel's hand in support before swimming a distance away.

Slowly, she headed towards the shore, praying that Sue hadn't changed her mind about not branding her.

* * *

><p>Luca checked the backpack one more time, making sure everything was there."<em>Formaggio<em>, sì. _Vino_, sì," he muttered to himself, zipping the backpack up.

This was too perfect. He'd overheard Brittany and Quinn talking about they were surprised that Rachel hadn't hit the gym at the hotel yet and he'd immediately thought of his new plan. Brittany had mentioned that Rachel was definitely getting her exercise even without using the gym, but he figured Rachel would definitely be open to his plan.

Rachel was a visitor to the region and an avid exerciser. What better way for an exercise nut to see Amalfi than a hike through the countryside? She could get an unparalleled view of the coastline and see all the hidden waterfalls. He'd been planning to hike the trails for a while anyway, and if he just so happened to have a romantic picnic lunch handy, all the better.

All that was missing was Rachel. A few casual questions to his mom and brother, and he'd easily found out that Rachel was down at the beach with everyone. Now all he needed was to get her alone.

For once, he was actually glad to be working the front desk, since it was situated in the ideal spot to carry out his plan. He stowed the bag under the front desk, knowing that Rachel would eventually have to pass (hopefully alone) on her way to her room.

Content to stay at the desk and wait, he amused himself with all sorts of fantasies about the hike, not noticing Bianca, a waitress from the restaurant come up to the desk until she waved a hand in his face. "Oh, hey Bianca," he said in Italian.

"Luca! I've been looking for you. I got two tickets for the soccer match tonight and since I know _nothing_ about soccer, I thought maybe you could come and explain it to me," she said flirtatiously.

"Maybe. I might have a date tonight," he answered, keeping a lookout for Rachel.

Bianca's face fell. "Oh. Well if you change your mind, let me know."

"Yeah, ok," Luca replied distractedly, not noticing the way Bianca's shoulders fell as she walked sadly away.

Forgetting all about Bianca, he went back to his fantasies, knowing that this would be the day Rachel realized who she belonged with.

_Him._

* * *

><p>"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little sex fiend and her band of sexual miscreants," Sue announced as she watched Rachel and friends emerge out of the water and make their way over to Sue and a very unhappy Kurt.<p>

"What do you want, Sue?" Rachel asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Would you look at that, Lady? She gets boinked and seems that instead of an STD she's acquired an attitude."

"Aunt Sue, this is ridiculous! Leave Rachel alone!" Quinn exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. As I've already explained to Porcelain here, my ace in the hole has arrived," Sue responded, holding up a rolled up poster. "Evidence which only Rachel can confirm."

"Which would be what?" Rachel asked; her hand on her hip and wishing Finn was next to her for support. She glanced at him on the other side of the group out of the corner of her eye, biting her lip to keep from smiling when she realized he was doing the same to her.

"I have in my hands, a sketch of the ass. Now Lady Face over here claims he can't identify it, despite my suspicions that he knows who it belongs to. Besides myself and possibly Lady Face, there's only one other person who's seen the ass in person. _You._"

They all stared as Sue unrolled the poster, revealing a Wanted poster straight out of a cowboy movie, only instead of a mug shot, a man's bare ass was in the center.

"_Wanted dead or alive. Caucasian male, 20-30 years old, for crimes against humanity, last seen on the beach. Possible aliases include AssMan._ _Distinguishing features: pale, firm white ass. Most likely to be seen with a loud, possibly naked woman. Reward for any information leading to the arrest of the owner of the offending ass,_" Puck read aloud, trying to keep a straight face.

"Very good, Q. Got yourself one who can read," Sue barked. "Now what do you think of the likeness, Rachel?"

Rachel, who thought the police sketch artist did a fantastic job sketching Finn's ass, remained silent. Sue must have gotten a really good look at his ass to describe it so accurately to the artist and the thought made her furious.

"How would she know what it looked like? She was underneath him if you were able to see his ass," Puck pointed out, trying to help Rachel, despite how funny he thought it was.

Sue stared at him, not having thought of that herself. "Touché, Neil. Never the less, I'm plastering this bad boy all over the hotel."

"A reward, Aunt Sue? Don't you think that's a little excessive?"

"Nonsense. Money gets people to talk, and the satyriasis and nymphomania running rampant around here _must_ be stopped."

"How much is the reward?" Puck asked curiously, quickly earning a slap to the head from both Quinn and Rachel.

"Get Lady over here to talk and then you'll find out," Sue directed. "Got to go make photocopies and start hanging them up. I'll be back with more questions, Rachel." She stormed off, leaving Rachel speechless in her wake.

"Told you she wasn't going to stop," Puck announced, taking tremendous satisfaction in being right yet again. "You better get the AssMan out of here before Sue starts randomly pulling down men's pants to do a lineup and has you identify the ass by feel."

"Thank you for your expert opinion, Noah," Rachel snapped.

"Rachel, maybe he's right. Why don't we just hang out my room?" Finn suggested, hoping she caught on.

She did. A gleam appeared in her eye. "I suppose it would be less obvious than my room."

"Well just make sure you have whatever you need from your room," Finn stressed.

"Oh, I'm fine like this," Rachel replied, not seeing why he was saying that, since it wasn't like she'd even be wearing clothing for long.

"No, I really think you should go to your room first," he repeated, trying to make her understand.

"Finn, I'm-"

"God, Rachel, how stupid are you? Obviously you two got it on in your room last night and this morning and that's where he left the condoms. He's trying to tell you to go to your room and get the condoms," Noah cut in bluntly, losing patience with his cousin.

Rachel blushed, looking at Finn, who rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, yeah, what Puck said, minus the being stupid part."

"Oh." She hurried off, not wanting to run into Sue again.

Puck watched her go. "You _sure_ you want that?"

His eyes trained on her retreating figure, he gave his answer in a low voice. "I've never wanted anything more."

* * *

><p>Luca's patience was rewarded when Rachel came strolling through the lobby, a weird look on her face. He positioned himself at the desk, ready to respond when she noticed him. To his surprise, she didn't seem to notice him, since not only did she not say hi, she walked right past him.<p>

"Rachel!" Luca called out a little frantically. It wasn't often she was by herself and he didn't want to waste the chance.

"Oh. Hi Luca," Rachel replied, brought out of her thoughts by his voice. She stopped walking, turning to look at him. "Did you need something?"

"Uh, I know you like to exercise," Luca blurted out. He blushed, knowing that he'd sounded so much cooler when he'd rehearsed his speech in his head.

"I do," Rachel replied, looking at him impatiently, wondering where he was going with this. Finn was waiting for her, she really needed to grab those condoms and get to his room. She could practically feel the wetness pooling between her legs at the thought of him waiting for her, even with a wet bathing suit on.

"There's lots of trails up around Amalfi that are great to hike. It's a great way to see the coast and not a lot of tourists know about them. Look, I even have a picnic basket. Well, really it's a backpack," he babbled. "You could get away; really see the coast and the waterfalls. What do you say?"

"Get away?" Rachel's eyes lit up. "That would be perfect!" she squealed, pulling out her phone and texting someone. "I better go get changed."

Luca watched her hurry away, a grin on his face. Completely forgetting about his front desk duties, he headed for his own room, untying his tie as he went.

He had a date to get ready for.

20 minutes later, having finally decided on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt like he'd seen Finn wear, Luca headed back to the lobby ready to pick up his bag and collect Rachel from her room. It had taken him longer than he'd anticipated to choose his clothing, but he thought Rachel would like what he was wearing.

Darting behind the counter, his eyes fell on the spot where he'd left his bag. "Marco? Have you seen the bag that was right here?"

Marco, busy booking a reservation on the phone, let his eyes flicker to where Luca was pointing before holding up a finger, silently telling him to wait.

Luca, however, was in no mood to wait. Rachel would be here any minute and he was anxious to leave before anyone (meaning Finn) could distract her. "Seriously, have you seen that bag?"

Annoyed, Marco placed his hand over the phone. "Rachel took it."

"Oh! She has it? Where is she?" Luca questioned, glancing around the lobby for any sign of her.

Marco once again placed his hand over the receiver. "I have no idea. She left with Finn about ten minutes ago."

Luca stared at his brother, his mouth hanging open in shock.

_She left with Finn about ten minutes ago._

_With Finn._

Rachel was on _their_ date with another man.

His face fell as he realized the gravity of the situation. She never wanted to go with him and she probably never would. His mother was right. Rachel and Finn were together, and he was a fool. A fool for ever thinking that he could get Rachel. A fool for thinking that she might like him when she so clearly liked someone else.

But also a fool still in love.

Marco glanced at his brother as hung up the phone. "What's your problem? And why are you out of your uniform?"

"Nothing," Luca replied sullenly. He trudged away from the desk, ready to put his uniform on and get back to work.

It's not like he had any other plans or anything.

* * *

><p>"Isn't this amazing?" Rachel breathed as they passed yet another waterfall, her hand firmly clasped in Finn's. They'd found a guide book in the backpack Luca had given them, easily finding the trail he'd highlighted. The narrow trail called <em>Valle delle Ferriere<em> had started in Amalfi, climbing higher into the countryside. According to the guidebook, they were now five hundred meters above the town, but since neither of them could figure out how many feet that is, they left it as being high up. The trail had climbed upwards for a while before becoming relatively flat, taking them through a quiet forest and then under cliffs, before giving them an amazing view of the valley below and the sea beyond that. The trail itself followed a river and they'd passed several smaller waterfalls. Rachel was entranced with each one, reading random facts about the waterfalls and the river from the guidebook to Finn. They hadn't come to either of the most famous waterfalls yet, a fact which caused Rachel to barely contain her excitement.

She had another reason for being excited about the waterfalls. The picture in the guidebook of the biggest fall looked similar to one she'd seen in pictures of Quinn and Noah's honeymoon to Hawaii, especially the one Quinn had framed in their living room. Quinn and Noah had posed in front of the lagoon, arms wrapped around each other as the waterfall fell majestically from a point high above them.

Rachel wanted a picture liked that.

She'd always loved the beauty of that photograph, not just for the waterfall, but also because of how happy and in love they looked in it. When she and Jesse had started discussing honeymoons, she'd brought up different islands (all of which had waterfalls, of course), that picture in the back of her mind, but Jesse had been adamant about going to London. He'd never been there before and was dying to see the West End. Rachel, who _had_ been to London, argued with him for a while, but eventually gave in. London was amazing, but when she pictured her honeymoon, that picture of Quinn and Noah always popped into her head.

And here was her chance. She'd already picked out which waterfall she wanted to have in her picture, all she needed was someone to take the picture for them. So far, they hadn't really seen too many other people, but she figured she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

"I'm so glad Luca told me about this," Rachel added, swinging their intertwined hands. "Is that backpack too heavy?"

"Nope. I'm good," Finn replied, cocking his head. "Do you hear that?"

He smiled as Rachel stilled, her ears pricked to listen for the sound of water. He'd heard the forceful rushing water and knew that it meant a serious waterfall was nearby and he was just waiting for Rachel to realize it. She'd been so excited about the waterfalls they'd seen so far and he knew she was waiting for the big ones. He couldn't blame her, from an artist's point of view, the waterfalls she'd shown him in the guidebook would be like heaven to draw.

Rachel started bouncing up and down once she realized what he'd heard. "Come on, Finn!"

She started dragging him towards the sound of the rushing water, anxious to see if it was the one she'd deemed romantic picture worthy. Dragging Finn through a little clearing, she gasped at the sight in front of her. It wasn't the waterfall of her picture, but it was just as beautiful. It reminded her of a much smaller version of Niagara Falls the way it slightly curved. She immediately decided she wanted a picture in front of this one too.

"Let's sit," she announced, leading Finn over to the boulders lying along the river bank and sitting him down on one.

"Is it time to eat?" Finn asked hopefully. He'd seen the contents of the backpack earlier, and was anxious to get at the cheese.

She smiled at him, pulling out her camera. "Nope. It's picture time."

Rachel looked around, hoping someone else was in sight to take a picture of the two of them. Naturally, no one was, which made a frown mar her face. She stayed rooted to the spot, trying to figure out how to get the perfect picture.

Finn must have sensed the problem because he pulled her into his lap and took the camera from her. "Here. Let me."

Rachel wrapped an arm around his neck, tilting her head towards his. "Try to get the waterfall in the background."

"Got it." Finn held out the camera at arm's length, waiting until Rachel signaled that she was ready. "Say cheese!"

She smiled until the camera beeped and Finn had lowered his hand, grabbing the camera from him, anxious to see how her backup romantic picture had come out. "Finn!" she screeched. "You cut off our heads!"

"What?" Finn grabbed the camera from her, immediately bursting out laughing as his eyes took in the picture. "I got the waterfall in at least."

"Yeah, at the expense of our heads," Rachel grumbled. Sure enough, Finn had gotten all of the waterfall in as directed, but he'd only managed to get in from their eyes upwards. "Take it again."

Obediently Finn held out the camera, once again waiting until Rachel gave the signal. This time, the results were much more satisfactory. Rachel squealed a little as she checked the picture, her arm still around Finn's neck. Happy that both their heads were completely in the picture and the waterfall was in the background, she used the arm around his neck to pull his face to hers, placing a big kiss on his lips.

"_Much_ better," she pronounced, giving him another kiss.

"I aim to please," he mumbled against her lips, pulling her closer so that they could exchange more kisses. Once more, he held up the camera, attempting to take a picture of their heads fused together.

Rachel pulled her face away from his to stare at him. "Did you just take a picture of us kissing?"

"Yup." He held up the camera, proudly showing Rachel the picture he'd just snapped. Rachel gasped, loving it just as much as the first picture. Finn had somehow placed the camera in just the right spot so that their heads, joined together at their lips, were centered, the waterfall flowing just behind them.

Rachel's smile grew as she focused her eyes back on him. If these two pictures came out that great, she could only imagine how great _the_ picture was going to be. Not wanting to wait any longer for her picture, she jumped off of Finn's lap, grabbing Finn's hands and attempting to pull him to his feet. "Come on Finny."

Finn, who'd been perfectly content to sit on the boulder and continue making out, slowly lumbered to his feet. He looked at Rachel hopefully. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"

"Nope." Determined to get her own version of Noah's picture, she slipped her hand into his, walking purposely along the path, only stopping when she realized that the path led right into the water. It was shallow, only about 6 inches deep, but she really didn't want to go in the water. She glanced around, looking for a bridge or some other way to get across.

Once again, Finn sensed the problem and immediately offered her a solution. He took off the backpack, placing it on Rachel's shoulders, and toed off his shoes and socks before bending down low in front of Rachel. "Can I offer you a lift?"

Rachel smiled as she climbed on, wrapping her arms around his neck and turning his face to kiss his lips as his arms locked under her legs securely. Carefully, he stepped into the icy cold water, easily making his way across the river to the path on the other side and depositing her safely on the ground.

She pouted a little as she slid down his body, a fact which didn't escape his notice. Quickly, he put on his socks and sneakers and stood up, pretending not to know what she wanted. He stretched, making it seem like he'd just carried a heavy load, grinning at the pout still on her face. "I'm just kidding. Hop on."

Her pout disappeared immediately, replaced by that smile he loved so much. Happily, she climbed onto his back, educating him about Broadway musicals and singing various bits of songs in his ear as he walked. She kept a sharp lookout for her waterfall, wondering how far they (well, Finn) would have to walk before they came across it.

Rachel's question was answered fairly quickly. After only about ten minutes, the sound of rushing water was heard again and she knew instinctively that this would be _the one_. She squealed loudly in Finn's ear as it came into view.

"Rach, Baby, I love carrying you, but you gotta stop puncturing my eardrum with your yells," Finn whined, rubbing his eardrum as Rachel slid off his body and stared at the waterfall intently.

"Sorry, Finn," she apologized as she kissed his cheek, distracted by the setting for her picture. It was _perfect._ Nowhere near as high as the one in Noah's picture, but it would work. The water flowed down the side of the cliff, its path changing as it flowed over some boulders at several different points, creating the illusion of different waterfalls coming together to form one. Moss covered the cliffs on either side of the waterfall.

Unfortunately, there were no people around to take the picture she wanted. She frowned, momentarily annoyed before making a decision. "There's a flat area over there. Why don't we eat?"

Not waiting for an answer, she marched over to the area she'd spied, figuring that if they hung around long enough, someone was bound to come along. She took off the backpack, quickly emptying it of its contents. Luca had thoughtfully packed a blanket, so she spread that on the ground, gesturing to Finn to sit. Once Finn was settled, she sat across from him, pouring the wine and handing him a cupful.

"These cups are like the airplane cups," he observed, immediately kicking himself for sounding so lame.

Damn word vomit.

Luckily, Rachel seemed to find it cute because she laughed, her laugher sounding like heaven to Finn. She sat up on her knees, crawling over to Finn. "You're pretty cute sometimes, you know that?"

"I know," Finn deadpanned.

Rachel swatted his shoulder as she climbed into his lap facing him, placing a leg on either side of his torso. Her arms came to rest around his neck, playing with the hair at the base. "And who told you you're cute?"

"My mom," Finn stated, his hands coming up to roam under her shirt lightly.

Rachel laughed again. "Your mom, huh?"

"Yup. But you can tell me too, if you want," he said cheekily, pecking her lips.

"I'll think about it." She pulled his face to hers, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly and kissing him, the wine and cheese forgotten as their kissing became more passionate.

Finn's tongue quickly found a home in Rachel's mouth and he pushed her backwards onto the blanket, easily covering her with his body. Still kissing her, his hand snaked further under her shirt, taking the familiar route to her breast. He'd just slipped his hand under her bra and squeezed her breast, when Rachel pulled her face away from his, her hand stilling the one currently pinching her nipple. "Wait."

Finn stared at her, surprised. He thought she'd been enjoying their make-out session, if the noises escaping her mouth were any indication. "What's wrong, babe?"

"This is what got your ass on Sue's radar," Rachel replied, her hand still gripping the one on her breast, not letting him move it. "We're in a public place."

"There's no one here," Finn assured her, lowering his head and kissing her neck while his hand began rolling her nipple between his fingers.

"That's what we thought last time and now there's a reward for anyone with knowledge leading to your capture," Rachel pointed out, trying desperately to ignore the feeling of ecstasy his fingers were creating. "We have to stop."

Finn noticed her squirming underneath him and decided to take advantage, pulling her tank top down slightly with his free hand to kiss the breast not currently being fondled. His tongue darted out to lick the soft skin along her bra, followed immediately by Finn's teeth nipping softly. He kept going, fully expecting Rachel to stop him. To his surprise, Rachel didn't seem to be objecting; if anything, she seemed _more _into it, a mewl escaping her mouth as she shifted, trying to get his mouth where she wanted it.

He decided to push his luck and see if he could get her bra off. He'd never been very good at doing it with one hand, usually needing more than one try, but maybe he'd get lucky this time, in more ways than one. His hand had just reached behind her and after a few fumbles and tugs, managed to unhook it.

The feeling of her bra loosening seemed to remind Rachel that she was currently opposed to their make-out session and she pushed him off of her, as she sat up.

"_No_. Bad Finn," she scolded, pointing at him. "You have to keep your hands off my breasts."

"But I love your breasts," he pouted, sounding like a child who's just been told he can't have a toy.

"You can see them later, I promise." She leaned over to kiss him, surprised when Finn avoided her lips.

"Don't activate the launch sequence if you don't intend to take off," Finn warned, making her laugh.

"Noted." She sat back, fastening her bra. "Can I at least sit in your lap?"

Finn pretended to think about it for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "If you must."

Rachel settled between his legs, her head resting on his chest as she sipped her wine and stared at the waterfall for a few minutes. Her hand reached for the cheese Luca had packed, holding it up to feed to Finn. He accepted it gladly, his mouth closing around her fingers for a moment before she yanked them away and turned to look at him. "_Finn._"

"What?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"You know very well what," she replied, poking him in the chest.

"I would just like to point out that I could have already given you a mind-blowing orgasm and no one would have been the wiser."

"That's where you're wrong. Look!" Rachel announced triumphantly, nodding towards an older couple just coming up the path. She smiled at them as they got closer, hoping they spoke English. Her smile grew wider when she felt Finn's hands wrap around her waist and she placed her own hands on top of his. She waited until the couple was fairly close before calling out. "Hello!"

The couple smiled back, pausing in front of their blanket. "Oh! Americans!" the man replied pleasantly. "Hello!"

Rachel grinned. Here was her chance to get her picture and she wasn't going to waste it. "I'm Rachel and this is Finn."

"Why hello there, Rachel and Finn. I'm Carl and this is Emma," Carl replied, pointing to the redhead next to him who was currently trying to get a smudge of dirt off her shoe with a portable toothbrush.

"Would you mind taking our picture in front of the waterfall?" Rachel asked, standing up and gesturing between herself and Finn, who seemed fascinated by Emma and her toothbrush.

"Not at all!" Carl boomed as he took the camera Rachel was holding out. "You can take a picture of us after."

Rachel beamed, ruffling Finn's hair to get his attention. He looked up at her, smiling. "Come on, Finny. Picture time."

Finn got to his feet, following Rachel, who seemed to have already picked out a spot. She posed Finn the way she wanted, wrapping her arms around his torso. His own arms snaked around her, coming to rest on her back and instinctively pulling her closer to him.

"Say cheese, kids!" Carl directed as he snapped the picture. He peered at the screen. "Now that's a picture."

Rachel bounded over to Carl, checking out her long awaited photo. It was _perfect._ Rachel fit into Finn's side just right, and the smiles visible on their faces could not be faked. Just like Quinn and Noah's picture, the waterfall fell behind them, giving an air of beauty and romance to the picture.

As far as Rachel was concerned, the only difference between Noah's picture and hers, was the two people in it, and since this picture showed her and Finn, she felt it was naturally superior to Noah's. "Ooh, I love it. Look, Finn! Thank you so much!" she squealed, handing the camera to Finn and impulsively hugging Carl.

Emma finally finished getting the dirt off her shoe, coming over to look at the camera in Finn's hands. "Oh! That's a lovely picture to remember your honeymoon by."

Finn and Rachel stared at each other. "Oh, we're not on our honeymoon," Rachel explained hastily.

"Could have fooled me. You two have that whole soul mate kind of love vibe about you," Carl responded cheerfully. "You better pop the question soon and make it official, like Em and I have," he directed at Finn, who blushed. He certainly wouldn't mind being on his honeymoon with Rachel.

"Why don't you take our picture now?" Emma asked, holding out the camera to Rachel, who stared down at it, thrown by Carl's use of the word soul mate. Finn interceded, taking the camera and waiting patiently for Emma to clean a speck of something off Carl's shirt with a tissue before she placed her hand there. He quickly snapped the picture, noting with satisfaction that his and Rachel's picture totally kicked Carl and Emma's picture's ass.

"Thanks, guys," Carl said, taking the camera back from Finn and nudging him meaningfully. "Come, Ems! Let's go so they can be alone and have wild sex in the grass if they want to."

"It was very lovely to meet you," Emma added. "If you do have sex, do it on the blanket, since you never know what kinds of contaminated foreign objects might be lying in the grass."

Carl pulled her away, leaving a blushing Finn and Rachel behind. Finn settled back down on the blanket, popping a piece of cheese in his mouth. "Well she just killed the mood."

Rachel smiled as she resumed her position between Finn's legs. She sat quietly against his chest for a few minutes, her fingers tracing random patterns on Finn's knees. Finn could tell something was bothering her and he waited patiently for the right moment to ask.

"I'll trade you a grape for whatever is bothering you," he offered, holding the grape up to her mouth. She took it, which he figured was a sign she was going to talk.

"What are we going to do?" She scooted down to rest her head on his thigh, staring up at him.

"About what?" he asked, feeding her another grape. "You mean Sue? She's got no proof that it was my ass."

"No, about us. We can't stay in Italy forever. We have to go home at some point," Rachel replied, stating the obvious. "We don't even live in the same state."

"Ohio is a nine or ten hour drive from New York," Finn answered, brushing some hair out of her face. "And it's like an hour by plane. That's like faster than Superman can fly there."

"How do you know that?"

"I looked it up on my phone already," Finn admitted, not willing to share that he'd already mapped out the best route to get there too. "I figure I can leave right from work on Fridays and come home late Sunday night or start racking up the frequent flyer miles. I could even take off some Fridays too, plus don't forget school vacations."

"I could come to Ohio on the weekends I don't do shows," Rachel offered, getting excited by their planning. Her smile fell as she realized the one bad part about their plan. "I'll miss you during the week though."

"You just want to have the sex with me," Finn teased, smiling down at her as she burst out laughing.

"Do you think Giulia knows?" Rachel asked. "She was asleep on that raft the whole time."

"I hope so, so she'll leave me alone." His hand began stroking her hair lightly. "Do you feel better? Or are you still worrying about the future?"

"You're right. It'll all work out." Rachel sat up, pecking his lips lightly. She stood up, brushing her shorts off. "Ready to go, baby?"

"Where are we going?" he asked, taking the hands she offered and standing up also.

"We need to finish this hike and get back to the hotel. I believe I promised to show you something," she said coyly, gesturing to her chest.

Finn grinned, hastily shoving everything into the backpack. Rachel managed to grab the open wine bottle and airplane cups before he shoved those in too, emptying the glasses and plugging the wine before placing them neatly in the backpack. "Ready."

Hand in hand they began power walking down the path, each anxious to get back to the hotel.

They'd worry about the future later.

* * *

><p>Luca eyed the clock yet again. It should take Finn and Rachel about an hour and a half to hike the trail, maybe longer if they stopped frequently, plus travel time to get to the trail and back. They'd already been gone for two and a half hours, so he figured they'd be back any moment. He drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently.<p>

His sudden clarity about Finn and Rachel from earlier had been immediately clouded over by the idea that he needed _proof_ that they were really together. He'd never seen them kiss or hug, and until he saw that, he decided that it couldn't be true that they were dating.

The sounded of the door opening drew his attention and he held his breath, waiting to see who walked into the lobby. To his great disappointment, it wasn't Rachel, but some young blonde guy.

"Can I help you?" he asked in English.

"Yeah, uh, I own a restaurant nearby and I found this wallet under one of the tables late last night. I went through it to see who it belonged to, and I found a receipt for your hotel in it, so I figured I'd drop it off." The man held out the wallet to Luca, who opened it to see Jesse's smug face on his driver's license staring up at him.

"Ah, it's Jesse's. I'm afraid he's already left, but we can mail it to him. You just need to fill out the paperwork." Luca bent down, trying to locate the papers he needed this guy to fill out, cursing in Italian when he didn't find them. He was so busy trying to find them under the counter that he failed to hear the door open and Rachel come in, being carried bridal style by Finn.

Only the sound of her laughter alerted him to her presence and he shot up, just in time to see Finn put her down and whisper something to her. She started to walk away, not even glancing in the direction of the men at the counter. Completely forgetting about the paperwork, he stared at them, earning the attention of the blonde man at the counter, who promptly turned to see what Luca was staring at.

"Oh, hey! They were with him, maybe they can give him the wallet back," the blonde said.

"Um, right," Luca replied. "Rachel? Finn? Can you come here?"

Rachel, who was already at the elevators, slowly turned and walked over, Finn right behind her. "Yes?"

"This man has found a wallet belonging to Jesse. Would you know his address in New York?" Luca asked.

Rachel frowned. "Don't you have that on file? Can't you just look it up?"

"Seriously Dude? I don't think Rachel wants to be reminded of that right now," Finn added, placing a hand on her shoulder protectively.

"I'm sorry, it was my idea. I just thought since I saw you with him that you could give it to him," the blonde interjected.

Finn and Rachel both jumped at the new voice, noticing him standing off to the side for the first time. Rachel peered closely at him, a confused look on her face. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

"You had lunch at my restaurant yesterday."

Rachel stared harder at him, still not recognizing him. "Were you the waiter?"

"Uh, no. I came over to the table just before you ran out." He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I don't remember you," Rachel replied, letting her fingers play casually with Finn's behind her back.

"It's ok, it's not like we were ever introduced."

"True. I'm Rachel, and this is Finn," she announced, smiling up at Finn as he held out a hand to the man. The man took it, shaking hands with Finn before introducing himself.

"The name's Sam. Sam Evans."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: SO sorry for the delay! I fully intended to have this out before I left for North Carolina, but it didn't happen. I ended up getting stranded in North Carolina for an extra two days due to Hurricane Irene hitting New York. Once I was able to get back to NY, I had no power for a week, thanks to Hurricane Irene knocking down telephone poles. I was literally writing with a notebook and a flashlight or candles. As soon as I got power back, I was left with the NOT fun task of typing the full notebook I'd filled with this chapter. So anyone who emailed me in the past week, I wasn't ignoring you, my Blackberry just wouldn't let me log into FanFiction for some reason. I hope it was worth the wait!_**


	18. Down The Crapper

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine._**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Cory:<em>_ It's an interesting feeling, you know?  
><em>_Shawn__: What, knowing it's over?  
><em>_Cory__: No, being the only guy in the world who knows it's not._**

**_-Boy Meets World_**

* * *

><p><em>"The name's Sam. Sam Evans."<em>

Rachel stared at Sam in shock, opening and closing her mouth several times, reminding Sam of a gaping fish. Without even looking, she knew that Finn was doing the same thing beside her. "What…what did you say?"

"Uh, my name's Sam." Sam looked a little confused; not only by the question, but also by the looks Rachel and Finn were giving him. One looked shocked and wary, while the other wore a look of shock and _sadness._

"And your last name is Evans?" Rachel asked with a sense of urgency in her tone, her hand reaching out to find Finn's, whose hand was searching for hers simultaneously.

"Last time I checked, yeah."

"Can I see your driver's license?" Rachel demanded.

"Uh_, no,_" Sam responded. "Look I really need to get back. I just came by to drop off the wallet. I would have dropped it off earlier but-"

"Dude, just show us your license," Finn snapped. "It's not hard. Just reach into your pants and whip it out."

"Right. Cause that doesn't sound weird." He shoved his hands in his pockets, glancing at the Concierge, ready to fill out the necessary paperwork and get the hell away from Thing 1 and Thing 2, the intense stares of whom were starting to freak him out. "Did you find those papers?"

Relieved when the Concierge handed over the papers and a pen, he hastily started to fill them out, not noticing Finn and Rachel inching closer to peer over his shoulder, or in Rachel's case _around _his shoulder, until they were practically pressed against his back. He quickly turned around, startling them. "Is there a problem?"

Hands still firmly intertwined, Rachel stepped away pulling Finn with her, embarrassed. "I…I just wanted to make sure you filled out the forms correctly."

"It's really not that hard. Just the basic info," Sam responded, his eyes noticing how tightly Rachel was gripping her boyfriend's hand. His hand was gripping hers just as tightly, making his knuckles white and leaving Sam wondering yet again why they were staring at him so weirdly. His hand discreetly checked his fly while his tongue ran over his teeth, checking for stuck food.

"Maybe we should have a look at it, _Sam_, if that's even your name." Finn snatched the papers from under Sam's hand, holding them out so that he and Rachel could inspect them, which he realized too late was useless, since the forms were in Italian.

Channeling his best Aunt Sue, Finn drew himself up to his full height. "Driver's license _now."_

Rachel nodded beside him. "I'm afraid it really is a necessity."

Sam eyed the two of them, now more than slightly weirded out. Slowly, he reached into his pocket for his wallet, handing over his driver's license to Finn.

Sam's wariness grew when he saw the reactions his license provided. Rachel's mouth dropped open as she stared at him with wide eyes, her hand gripping Finn's even tighter, if that was possible, but it was her boyfriend's reaction that caused Sam to start shifting even more uncomfortably.

Finn's eyes had flickered over the license and back up to him immediately, his face falling and taking on a look of what Sam could only describe as pure _dejection_. Sam watched as he released his girlfriend's hand, his shoulders slumping, taking a step backwards. "You're _Sam_."

The words came out in a choked, almost tear filled voice as he stared at Sam, cursing his bad luck that Sam Evans actually showed up.

"Uh, that's what I've been trying to tell you," Sam replied, his eyes drifting over to look at Rachel, who had yet to add anything. Instead she was staring at Finn, a look of defiance on her face. Like Finn, she took a step backwards.

"_No._ Finn, he's not," she said firmly, slipping her hand back into his.

"Um, actually I _am_. Sam I am," Sam responded, chuckling at his own joke. He frowned when no one joined in. "And I don't like green eggs and ham," he finished lamely.

Finn, ignoring_ stupid_ Sam's _stupid_ joke, looked sadly at Rachel. "You heard him. He's Sam."

Rachel gripped his hand harder, refusing to let him pull it from her grasp. "I told you this morning, it doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. _He's_ Sam."

"No, baby he's not. He's _not_ Sam."

"What the hell are they talking about?" Sam asked the Concierge, who like Sam had been following the conversation between Finn and Rachel with a confused look on his face.

Luca shrugged. "I have no idea."

He wasn't about to tell Sam that he was much more concerned with the fact that Rachel was holding hands with Finn. His eyes had zeroed on how close they were standing to each other, but he'd just dismissed it as them being good friends. The hand holding though, he couldn't explain, and try as he might, he was unable to tear his eyes away from their conjoined hands.

"Sam? Is that you?" Marco's booming voice came floating out of the back room, startling the four by the counter. He leaned over to fist bump Sam. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey man. I'm just returning a wallet I found." Sam looked around the lobby, whistling softly. "I didn't know this was your hotel."

"Been in the family for years," Marco proudly announced.

"Awesome. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Right through there," Luca replied, pointing the way for Sam.

"You know him?" Rachel demanded as soon as Sam had walked away.

Marco shrugged. "Sort of. We just met last night at a party. He knows my girlfriend Anna."

"Oh." Rachel went quiet, her hand maintaining its tight hold on Finn's.

Finn glanced down at her, unsure of what to do. He _knew _it, he just fucking knew it. He really had the shittiest luck. He couldn't believe that the real Sam had actually shown up, just when Rachel had given up on the idea of him. He snuck another peek at Rachel, who still bore that look of shock on her face. Yeah, this _totally _sucked for him, but it had to be even harder for her. She'd been waiting forever for this guy and now that he was here, she was being her usual stubborn self and claiming it didn't matter, even though he knew this changed _everything._

He glared in the direction of the bathroom, hoping Sam got sucked down a urinal.

Naturally, Finn's streak of rotten luck continued, since Sam _'I have the right name'_ Evans came back at that moment, his hands thrust into his pockets.

"So…uh, I'm just gonna get going."

"Don't go. You can't leave without having a drink. Anna will be here soon," Marco decided, gesturing to the back of the hotel where the restaurants were located.

"Uh…don't you have to work?" Sam asked, sneaking a glance at Finn and Rachel, both of whom were still staring at him with those creepy looks.

"Luca can stay here." Marco announced, leaving his younger brother little choice but to agree. He came out from behind the counter, ready to lead Sam to the bar. He looked over at Finn. "You two coming?"

"Yes."

"No." This came from Rachel, surprising Finn.

"_Yes_. You _need_ to do this," Finn said firmly, concentrating very hard on not letting his voice break and betray him. Without waiting for an answer or even releasing his hand from hers, he looked at Sam.

"You're coming, right Sam? Rachel wants you to come." Ignoring Rachel's gasp, he squeezed her hand and continued. "She won't take no for an answer, but then, since you're _Sam_, I don't suppose you would say no."

"I've really got a lot to do," Sam hedged, not particularly wanting to spend time with the freak show in front of him.

"Nonsense. We won't hear of it." Marco pushed Sam towards the restaurant, Finn and Rachel following closely behind.

Finn glanced down at Rachel, who now had a strange look on her face, one of steely determination. No matter what Rachel said, he knew that it did matter and that she _needed_ to do this. Sam had shown up for a reason and the idea of Sam had meant so much to her that he wasn't about to let it pass her by.

Even if it made him totally miserable.

* * *

><p>Puck stretched on his lounge chair, yawning with the air of one generally satisfied with their life. His smoking hot wife was reading some trashy romance novel next to him (hopefully putting her in the mood), his daughter was totally awesome and best of all, he'd managed to pass on Brittany's stupid cat onto his mom.<p>

Even better, Rachel was off doing the nasty in Finn's room, which meant that her personality would be much improved. He loved Rachel, he really did, but sometimes she made him want to light himself on fire. If Finn was willing to take her on, more power to him in Puck's opinion.

He eyed Quinn, thinking it hardly fair that uptight Rachel was getting more action than he was. He'd been here for hours now and he'd only had sex _four_ times, which was simply unacceptable. He stood up, casting a shadow over Quinn's chair.

"I'm not having sex with you on a lounge chair," she commented, not looking up from her book.

"_Come on,_" he whined. "Rachel's been totally getting it on all afternoon in Finn's room. It's not fair."

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize that you two were in a sex competition," Quinn replied, still not looking up.

"Funny." He climbed on top of Quinn, yanking her book out of her hand as he leaned close to kiss her lips.

Almost against her will, Quinn's hands came around his neck, pulling him closer, unable to resist that look he was giving her. "I _might_ be able to help you out since Brits and Kurt went back to their rooms."

"Good thing, otherwise I'd be forced to visit Giulia," he murmured between kisses, ignoring the smack Quinn gave him.

He'd just managed to slip his tongue into Quinn's mouth when his cell phone went off. He pressed his mouth harder on hers, willing her to ignore it. He could feel her squirming underneath him, trying to get him off of her. "Ignore it, Q."

"I can't. What if it's your mom?" Quinn replied, finally pushing him off and pulling his cell phone out of her bag. She handed it to him, waiting for him to answer it.

He sighed as he got back on his own chair. "Hello?"

"Noah! Is that you?"

"Hi, Nana." He shifted over so that Quinn could join him on the chair, letting her listen to the phone call.

"How's it going out there? Is Jesse gone? Rachel hasn't called her dads in a while, so we're worried."

He rolled his eyes. Rachel hadn't called in a while because she was too busy putting on public sex shows, but he wasn't about to tell Nana that. "She's fine. She's very happy, in fact."

"So Jesse's gone then? You spoke to him?"

"I didn't have to. He was gone before I got here. Rachel had it out with him."

"Is she ok?"

"Believe me, Nana. She's fine. She's happier than I've ever seen her."

"And you met Finn? What's he like?"

"They're inseparable, like Bert and Ernie."

"Really? He treats her well?"

"Incredibly well, Connie," Quinn cut in. "He treats her like a queen. Hiram and Leroy will be very happy."

"Quinn! I didn't realize you were there too! What does he look like? I know everything else about this boy but that."

Quinn started laughing into the phone. "Oh, he's very cute. Very tall and very cute," she announced into the phone, ignoring the look her husband was giving her. "Brown hair and amber eyes, nice body. He looks good with Rachel. They fit together perfectly."

"I can't wait to see him. Did you mail my picture, Noah?"

"Nana, I told you, I'll send the picture to my mom's phone. If I mail it, you won't get it for like a week. But yes, he treats well. He's the complete opposite of Jesse. Quinn's crazy aunt pushed Rachel in the pool and he not only got her out, he protected her from Aunt Sue."

"It's true, Connie. Wait till you see them together," Quinn added. "He's like a gentle giant with her."

"Where is she? I'd like to speak to her."

"Uh…," Quinn looked at her husband, not wanting to be the one to tell Nana exactly where Rachel was and what (or who) she was doing.

"Rachel's off having fun with Finn," Pucks answered smoothly. "I think she said something about eating some of Finn's salami."

Quinn snorted at Puck's innuendo, but fortunately it went over Nana's head.

"Oh, Noah," Nana's voice wavered a little. "I have to go, but can you give Rachel a message for me?"

"Sure, Nana."

"Just tell Rachel it's Serendipity."

* * *

><p>Fingers still firmly laced with Rachel's, Finn stared across the table at Sam, still reeling from the blow Destiny had just dealt him. As usual, just when he'd got his life figured out, it kicks him in the nads.<p>

Fifteen minutes, that's all he'd needed. If they'd arrived back at the hotel fifteen minutes later Sam would have been gone and he'd be naked in his room right now with an equally naked Rachel under him instead of sitting here on the terrace fully clothed, grasping Rachel's hand as if his life depended on it.

Which it sort of did.

Whenever he'd watch _The Little Mermaid_ with his mom, she'd always tell him to watch out for the Vanessas when you've found your Ariel. He'd always just smiled, not quite knowing what she meant, anxious to get to _Robin Hood_. It wasn't until years later that he figured out that she meant watch out for someone trying to get in the way of the person you're meant to be with, or as he liked to call it (to his mother's annoyance), a cockblocker.

And right now, Sam was definitely a cockblocker.

The thing was though, even if Sam was currently cockblocking him, he honestly had no idea what to do now. How the hell could he compete with someone who was chosen by Destiny?

Rachel wasn't helping, since not only had she refused to let go of his hand, she'd pulled him down with her as she'd sat, the result being that they were now staring across the table at the famous Sam Evans.

"So…" Sam started, still weirded out by the whole situation, but slowly realizing it could be advantageous to him. The waitress came over to take their drink orders, staring expectantly at Sam. "Uh…I'll have a beer."

The waitress nodded, turning her attention to Finn, who promptly ordered for himself and Rachel. "I'll have a Peroni, and Rachel will have a glass of white wine."

The waitress left, ready to fill their order, leaving the table in an uncomfortable silence. Marco seemed oblivious to the tension and promptly began talking about _Avatar_.

Evidently Sam was a huge fan of the movie, launching into an animated conversation with Marco about the Na'vi language. Finn, knowing Rachel would have zero interest in a conversation about _Avatar_, leaned over to whisper in her ear. "How are you feeling?"

"Why did you insist I come? I told you I have no interest," Rachel whispered back.

"I saw your face when he said his name. You've been waiting for Sam since you were eight. I don't want you to ever wonder." He placed a gentle kiss on Rachel's temple, hoping it reassured her more than it was reassuring him.

Never before had he hated someone so much at first sight. Still amazed at how incredibly shitty his luck was, Finn eyed Sam across the table, trying to figure out what made him so special. What was it? It couldn't be his appearance, since his mouth was enormous and the dude was totally rocking a hairstyle that made him look like a tween pop star. What made him worthy of Rachel? Why should_ this _guy be destined for Rachel and not him?

It totally sucked, because the revelation he'd had on the beach resonated in the back of Finn's mind. No matter what anyone or any cookie said, he _knew_ that he and Rachel were meant to be together, so why was he getting screwed? Why couldn't Sam and his huge mouth have stayed wherever the hell he's from and left them alone?

He eyed the hand still clasped in his, wondering how long it would stay there. How long it would be before he couldn't hold it anymore. How long it would be before destiny bitch-slapped him in the face _again_ and he'd be forced to watch _Sam_ holding Rachel's hand.

Rachel didn't answer, staring at him as her free hand came up to caress his face gently, almost as if she knew what he was thinking.

"I'm just gonna check on the kitchen, I'll be right back," Marco announced, getting out of his chair and striding away before anyone could say anything.

Finn watched him go, trepidation in his eyes. Great. He was leaving them with Sam, the man personally chosen by Fate to be with Rachel. He watched as Sam played with his napkin and Rachel played with a water ring left on the table, neither knowing what to say to the other, and he just waited for someone to say _something_. It was incredibly awkward, but this had been what Rachel had been waiting for all her life, to meet Sam Evans, and now here he was, in the flesh. And all Finn wanted to do was punch him in the face and pull Rachel away caveman style so she would be all his.

He sighed. Rachel wasn't doing anything, so it was clearly up to him. "So _Sam_, I'm guessing you don't have a girlfriend?"

"Uh, no."

Finn stared hard at him. "_Of course_ you wouldn't. That would be against destiny, wouldn't it?"

Sam said nothing, watching as Rachel squeezed her boyfriend's hand and wishing he was anywhere but here. If he _had_ to be here, why couldn't the hot blonde girl be here? The one who'd run after Rachel yesterday? She wouldn't be staring at him so creepily like these two. He stared at Rachel, wondering why she hadn't spoken yet. She was still gripping Finn's hand, only now she was holding his hand with both of hers as she continued to look at him with her eyes wide.

He shifted uncomfortably as he turned his attention back to Finn. "Destiny?"

"Yeah, destiny," Finn muttered. "See-"

"Finn, Finn! Come quick. I need your help!" Brittany yelled, out of breath and seriously distressed. Her comment made all three look at her with concern on their faces.

"What's wrong Brittany? Are you hurt?" Rachel was the first to ask, standing up to come to the aid of her best friend.

"Me? No. It's Kurt. I was watching TV in his room while he went into the bathroom to change and now he won't come out. He told me to come get you through the door."

"Is he sick, Brittany?" Finn asked, thinking that Brittany was totally over reacting. His situation with Rachel was slightly more important than one of Kurt's diva fits and he wasn't about to leave Rachel unless it was a matter of life or death.

"I don't know. He just told me to come get you and bring you back."

"He didn't say anything else?" Finn questioned, exchanging glances with Rachel, who'd sat back down. As usual, Kurt had the worst timing.

"No. He just said to come alone."

Finn was torn. On the one hand, his brother was locked in a bathroom asking for him, so obviously something was up. But on the other hand, his _girlfriend/soul mate/ friend/ he had no idea what she was _was at a crossroads in her life and he really wanted to be there to support her. He turned to Rachel, unsure of what to do.

"Come on, Finn! Kurt needs you." Brittany grabbed his free hand, trying unsuccessfully to pull his huge bulk out of the chair.

He snuck a peek at Sam, who was watching the scene in front of him with a bored look on his face, wondering if Sam was just waiting for him to leave to make a move. Rachel noticed what he was looking at and once again correctly read his thoughts.

"Go. I'll be fine." She pulled his face towards his, placing a tender kiss on his lips. The kiss, full of reassurance, calmed him somewhat and he smiled against her lips before placing his forehead against hers.

He stood up, still holding her hand, not letting go until the distance between them was too great. He walked away, wondering if that was the last time he'd get to kiss her.

* * *

><p>"Kurt?" Finn knocked on the closed bathroom door, wondering what he was going to find on the other side of the door.<p>

"Are you alone?"

"I'm with Brittany. What's going on?"

"Give Brittany your cell phone and come in. The door's not locked," Kurt directed from the other side of the door.

Finn perked up at this, knowing that it meant that whatever was going on on the other side of the door was something Kurt didn't want evidence of. Ignoring Kurt's directions to surrender his cell phone, he pushed open the door, unsure of what to expect.

He found Kurt on the floor, his body draped over the toilet bowl. He frowned, not sure of what was going on. "Are you sick again?"

"No." Kurt's head was resting on his arm, his answer echoing into the toilet bowl.

"Then what's wrong?" Finn asked impatiently. He was _not_ in the mood to deal with Kurt's diva crap, since his mind was still with Rachel.

"Promise you won't laugh." Again, the words echoed into the toilet bowl.

"Kurt, what the hell is going on?"

"Promise."

"Ok, fine I promise," Finn replied, honestly curious about what had happened.

Slowly, Kurt picked his head and arm off the toilet bowl, revealing his left arm that had been previously hidden to Finn. Finn's jaw dropped as he realized that Kurt's left arm was _in_ the toilet bowl.

"Dude, your arm's in the toilet," Finn stated, fighting the urge to laugh.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Kurt snapped. "I'm well aware of that fact."

"I don't think you quite understand what a toilet is for Kurt," Finn commented, some laughter escaping his mouth to Kurt's annoyance.

"I know perfectly well what a toilet is for," Kurt replied in what he hoped was a dignified tone. He ran his free hand along his carefully coiffed hair. "What I don't know is how to get my hand unstuck."

Finn didn't bother hiding his laughter now, opening the door to let Brittany in and pulling out his cell phone simultaneously. To Kurt's horror, Finn snapped picture after picture, getting close ups of his stuck hand as he continued laughing. Brittany soon joined in, pulling out her own camera to record Kurt's misery.

"If you two are done laughing and taking pictures, I'd appreciate some help," Kurt snapped, his last shred of dignity leaving him.

"How the hell did you get your hand stuck in the toilet?" Finn finally managed to calm down enough to ask as he perched on the edge of the tub, sending the pictures off to Blaine. Brittany sat next to Kurt on the floor, stroking his hair.

"If you must know, I was changing in here and I accidentally knocked my mother's spider brooch off the counter and into the toilet. Do I need to tell you the rest?"

"Yes," Finn replied, fresh rounds of laughter emerging from his mouth.

"I'd like to know what happened next," Brittany added seriously.

Kurt sighed, furious that Finn was taking such pleasure in his misery. "I could see the brooch on the bottom of the toilet, so I prepared all my disinfectants for afterwards, and plunged my hand in. The only problem was that once I stuck my hand in, the movement forced the brooch into the pipe. I could just see it so I stuck my hand in further and here I am."

"Did you know that spiders flee from water?" Brittany asked unhelpfully.

"Thank you, Brit," Kurt replied wearily.

"Seriously?" Finn asked, momentarily distracted from Kurt's situation by Brittany's statement.

Brittany nodded. "It's true. I learned it from the _Harry Potter_ movies."

"Can we focus please?" Kurt snapped, not bothering to point out that the spiders in the movie were fleeing from the Basilisk, not water.

Finn stood up, coming to stand behind Kurt. "Lemme try pulling you out."

He pulled as hard as he dared; trying not to hurt Kurt, but Kurt's arm was most definitely stuck.

"Maybe we should try butter," Brittany suggested.

Kurt looked at Finn in disbelief, shocked to see that Finn seemed to be seriously considering Brittany's suggestion. "The toilet is full of water, Brit. Butter won't work."

Finn stared at Kurt as he pulled his cell phone out again and dialed, putting the phone on speaker. "I'm calling Burt. If Mom answers the phone I'm going to kill you."

He figured she would since he'd been on such a streak of crappy luck, but his luck seemed to be changing because Burt answered the phone with a cheery hello.

"Hey, Burt. It's Finn."

"Finn! How are you doing over there? Heard you met a girl? Your mom's been dying to talk you about it. You want me to put her on?"

"NO!" Finn cried. "I need to talk to you."

"Finn? Are you ok? Where's Kurt?" Burt's voice held a slightly nervous tone based on Finn's reaction.

"I'm fine. But uh, hypothetically, if someone got their hand stuck in a toilet, how would you get it out?"

"How the hell did you get your hand stuck in a toilet? Are you drunk?" Burt asked, not bothering to control his laughter. "Why didn't you have Kurt try to get whatever you dropped in there? His hand is smaller; I doubt it would get stuck. Hey Carole, Blaine! Finn's hand is stuck in an Italian toilet!"

"Burt!" Finn snapped; annoyed that Burt automatically assumed it was _his_ hand that was stuck. Honestly, he got his head stuck in the banister _once_, and now he's forever going to be branded as the son who sticks body parts where they don't belong. "I'm _not_ the one with my hand stuck in an Italian toilet. It's Kurt and his small hand."

"Really? _Kurt _stuck his hand in a toilet?" Burt asked skeptically, still laughing. "Is _he_ drunk?"

"Dad, I assure you, I'm not drunk. I simply dropped Mom's brooch in the toilet and tried to retrieve it," Kurt snapped. "Once Finn stopped laughing, he tried pulling me out, but it didn't do anything."

"Hmm…try soap. Maybe you could wiggle your hand out while Finn pulls. Oh, hold on. Your mom wants to talk to you, Finn."

Shit. Not in the mood to deal with Kurt's hand in a toilet _and_ his mom gushing over a possible daughter-in-law, especially since Sam Evans had arrived, Finn quickly improvised. "Oops. You're breaking up. I'll call you later."

He hung up; before his mom could say anything, avoiding the looks Brittany and Kurt were giving him.

"Well that was mature," Kurt commented.

"Says the man who has his hand stuck in a toilet," Finn shot back. "I'm not in the mood to discuss Rachel with Mom, considering Sam Evans has arrived."

"_What_?" Kurt and Brittany both exclaimed simultaneously.

Finn nodded miserably. "She's sitting with him right now at the bar."

"How is this possible?" Kurt demanded. "Hand me the soap."

Finn handed Kurt the soap as he began sadly explaining. "Remember that guy who came over to see what Rachel and Jesse were fighting about yesterday? The manager or something?"

"The one with the dyed blonde hair and big mouth," Kurt said instantly as he lathered his arm, Brittany nodding in remembrance next to him.

Finn nodded. "_He's_ Sam Evans. He brought back Jesse's wallet just as Rachel and I were returning from our hike. Luca called us over to see if Rachel could give him Jesse's address and he introduced himself. It's definitely him because I looked at his driver's license."

"Did Rachel recognize him?" Brittany asked slowly.

Finn shrugged. "I don't think so. She was more annoyed that Luca had asked her for Jesse's address."

Brittany processed this information, watching as Kurt continued soaping up his arm. "What color are Sam's eyes?"

"Uh, I have no idea," Finn replied. He looked down at Kurt. "Is it working?"

"Let me see." Kurt tried pulling arm out to no avail. Frustrated, he continued lathering up his hand.

"I don't think his eyes are amber," Brittany said thoughtfully as she stood up. "I'm going to go get more soap from my room."

Kurt watched her go from his position on the floor before turning back to Finn. "So where is Rachel now?"

"She's still at the bar with Sam."

"You _left_ her there?"

"I didn't have a choice, since you decided to see what it feels like to be a turd," Finn snapped. "You think I _wanted_ to leave her there with him? It was all I could do to not drag her off caveman style. I can't stop thinking about her and how she's feeling."

Kurt paused his lathering to stare at his brother. "How did she seem? Was she excited to see him?"

"Nope. She actually didn't want to, but I knew she needed to do it. When she comes back to me, I don't want her to ever wonder if she made the right choice."

Kurt arched an eyebrow. "You seem pretty confident. Have you forgotten about a little thing called destiny?"

Finn stared at his brother. "Kurt, why am I here?"

"Because I need you to help me get my hand out of the toilet," Kurt responded, trying to pull his hand out.

"No, I mean, why am I here in Italy? Why did _I_ have to come? You could have brought anyone. Mom, Burt, Mercedes, anyone. But for some reason you guys went through that whole scene to get me to go. Why?"

Kurt sighed as he resumed his soaping. "Once it became clear that Blaine couldn't go, Carole and I had a little meeting…"

"_Carole?"_

"_In here, Kurt!"_

_Kurt followed the voice to the family room, finding his step-mother on the couch, a box of tissues in her hand as she watched Father of the Bride. "Oh, I love this movie!" _

_Carole nodded. "It's so romantic. She goes off to study in Italy and randomly meets the right man in a movie theater. I wish something like that would happen for Finn. He's been in such a funk since that evil witch dumped him."_

_Kurt nodded. "I know. I don't even remember the last time he had a date. He needs to get away and clear his head."_

"_That's why I wanted you to come over. I want Finn to take Blaine's place," Carole announced._

"_I'd love for Finn to go, but he's not going to want to. You know he's on this whole my career comes first kick," Kurt pointed out. "I was going to ask Mercedes to come."_

"_No. Finn **has** to go," Carole said determinedly, giving Kurt a good idea of where Finn's stubborn streak came from. "He's using his career as a shield to avoid getting out into the dating world again. He just needs a kick in the pants and I know if he went to Italy with you, he'd see that."_

"_So you want me to ask him? He's not going to say yes," Kurt said doubtfully._

"_No. I know how Finny's mind works. I have a better idea…"_

"She was right," Finn said quietly just as Brittany came back in, holding several bars of soap. "After Santana, I just wanted someone who understood me and accepted me for me, flaws and all. That's why I took over all those clubs and stopped dating. I'm not interested in a quick fix. I want to be in it for the long haul."

"Who was right?" Brittany asked as she sat down next to Kurt and unwrapped a bar of soap.

"Finn's mom. She felt that he _needed_ to come to Italy."

"Of course he did. Rachel was on her way, and that's why Blaine broke his leg," Brittany said matter of factly as she began helping Kurt lather his arm. "I _told_ you. You're Sam. Sam may be Sam, but you're _Sam._"

"Then why the hell is Sam here?" Finn demanded. "Why would the fortune always say Sam?"

"Don't worry, Finn. Sam is Sam, but he's not _Sam_ and Rachel knows that," Brittany replied, working up a furious storm of soap bubbles in the toilet. "Finn isn't a nickname for Sam, is it?"

"I think she's right, Finn. I don't think it matters that Sam is here." Kurt looked thoughtful as he wiggled his hand. "I think it's loosening. Try pulling me out."

Finn took his position behind Kurt, ready to pry him away from his captor, wishing more than anything that he was still sitting next to Rachel, helping her face Sam. He began pulling Kurt, wondering what Rachel was doing at that moment.

* * *

><p>Rachel glanced down at her drink, daring to sneak a peek at Sam across the table, her mind on Finn and Kurt. Part of her had thought that this was yet another fake Sam, but that been dashed when she'd seen his driver's license. This certainly wasn't how she pictured meeting Sam and she <em>definitely<em> didn't expect it to be so…silent.

"So, uh is your drink ok?" Sam asked, breaking the awkward silence between them.

Rachel looked up at him, her hands playing with her glass. "It's fine. How's your beer?"

"It's ok."

"Oh." She eyed the beer in his hand. "Finn doesn't like that brand. He says it tastes like he's drinking tar."

"Yeah, it's not that great."

"Finn likes Peroni. Well, while he's in Italy. If he was home, he'd be drinking Guinness or Bass," Rachel offered.

"Oh. So have you been in Italy long?"

"Not that long. We were in Rome first," Rachel replied. "We stayed at the _Hotel Cavallieri_."

"I hate that hotel. My dad always stays there when he comes over here; he's like a preferred customer or something. I stayed there this time too, but there's too much artwork around."

"You don't like the artwork?" Rachel asked, disappointed. The artwork was spectacular, and she appreciated it even more now that she'd had Finn's tutorial.

"I don't know. It all looks the same to me." He shrugged, taking a drink of his beer.

"Finn's an incredible artist. He's been teaching me about art," Rachel announced proudly. "He's currently working on several landscapes, but he doesn't like anyone to see them until they're done, otherwise I'd show you them."

"Oh. Too bad."

They relapsed into that awkward silence, each trying to think of something to say. Rachel was confused. If Sam Evans was really her soul mate, shouldn't conversation come easily? She thought back to that first day in Rome, when she's met Finn. They'd been able to talk to each other as if they'd known each other forever, right from the start. Yet sitting here with Sam trying to make conversation felt like pulling teeth.

"Do you like _The Fantastic Four_?" she finally asked.

Sam shrugged. "They're ok, kind of stupid. I mean, they don't really get any cool powers or toys. What good is being able to light yourself on fire or stretch?_ Avatar_ was a much better film."

"I guess. What about Smurfs or gummi bears?" Rachel quickly asked, not wanting to hear about the merits of the Na'vi language again.

"I don't eat candy. I only eat chicken, egg whites, fish, oatmeal, and brown rice but not after 6 PM. I also don't eat butter or oil, and no soda or candy."

"Really?" Rachel was impressed. She maintained a healthy diet, but this guy took it to a whole new level.

"Ain't no carpool lane to sexy. You don't get _these_ by eating gummi bears." He pulled up his shirt, revealing an incredibly toned chest.

Rachel frowned. His chest was lovely, but she couldn't help wondering what a girl would hold on to. Finn was fit, but he had just the slightest belly that Rachel enjoyed squeezing when she wrapped her arms around him.

"Is something wrong?" Sam asked, lowering his shirt.

"No, nothing," Rachel lied as Marco came back to the table.

"Rachel, I'm really sorry to ask you this, but I have to go pick up Anna. She got a flat tire down the road. Do you think you could entertain Sam? Show him around until I get back with Anna. Then we'll go out, man."

"Oh, uh, sure," Rachel replied, not particularly wanting to, but not wanting to be rude.

The thought popped into her head that she'd really like to show Sam the front door.

* * *

><p>Luca grumbled as he put down the phone, once again mentally cursing his brother. Marco just assumed he'd stay at the counter, never even bothering to ask if it was ok.<p>

As a result, he was stuck dealing with reservations and complaints while Marco got to have drinks with Rachel. He seethed. Marco probably didn't even know what kind of drink Rachel liked. Plus, there was the little problem of Rachel holding hands with Finn. He didn't know what that was about and it _definitely_ needed further monitoring and exploration.

Since the front desk was currently empty, there was actually something he could about figuring out the relationship between Finn and Rachel. The monitors for the security cameras were located in the back room and if he left the door open, he'd be able to check the cameras and still watch the front desk at the same time.

Propping the door open, he rewound the tape for the camera that monitored the front of the hotel until he spotted a cab pulling up. Finn got out first, holding a hand out to help Rachel out. He watched; frowning as Rachel stood on her toes to kiss him lightly on the lips as the cab sped away. He could see Finn saying something to Rachel, who glanced around, a concerned look on her face as she stepped away from him and started walking away. She turned her head slightly to say something to Finn as she walked. Whatever she'd said made Finn grin, and he quickly caught up to her, scooping her up bridal style as he walked into the doorway and out of camera range.

He rewound the footage to Rachel kissing Finn, freezing it to analyze their body movements. Finn was just standing there as she kissed him, his hands slightly raised, but not touching her. Rachel seemed to be an affectionate person; maybe this was her way of saying thanks for paying or something.

The phone rang at that moment, interrupting his thoughts. He answered it, quickly booking a reservation while his mind continued to wonder about their relationship. As he hung up the phone, he began mentally thinking of where the other cameras were located. Despite Sue accusing him and his mother of lying about it, he knew there were no security cameras down at the beach, but there were cameras in the hallways and elevators. If he went back a little, he'd actually be able to see just when Finn had gone to Rachel's room last night.

Leaving the one monitor frozen on the image of Rachel kissing Finn, he performed a search on the other, trying to figure out when he'd last seen Rachel that night. He'd seen her talking to Jesse just after he'd checked out and he remembered that she'd run outside, but he wasn't sure where she'd been headed. She'd clearly been on the beach at some point, since her shoes were there. He quickly ran through the footage of the various restaurants with no luck before moving onto the elevators down by the pool.

_Bingo._ He leaned closer, his frown returning when he realized Rachel was being carried by Finn as she kissed his face all over. Finn walked over to the elevator, blindly reaching for the button as he pinned Rachel against the wall, kissing her while they waited. Rachel's arms were wrapped around his neck, her hands clutching something.

Maybe they were drunk?

He took notice of the elevator they disappeared into, quickly pulling up that car's footage. He was in luck, because Finn pinned Rachel against the wall just under the camera, allowing Luca an excellent view. He watched as they continued kissing while Finn's hand began to travel under Rachel's skirt between them.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the only one who realized that they were right under the camera. Finn must have realized it also, because he used his free hand to take what appeared to be a pair of boxer shorts in Rachel's hand and held it up over the camera, completely blocking the lens.

Damn.

He turned his attention to the camera on Rachel's floor. Finn emerged from the elevator, still carrying Rachel and still kissing. Luca watched transfixed as he traveled blindly down the hallway, occasionally stumbling into a wall, but still managing to get to Rachel's door, which he held Rachel up against as he slid her passkey into the slot before carrying her in, kicking the door shut behind him.

They didn't come out again.

He sped through the footage, but the next time that door opened was when he himself knocked on it. He rewound the footage watching from the elevator again, trying to figure out if they were drunk or not.

"Enjoying the show, Eagle Eyes?"

Luca jumped out of his skin upon hearing the voice behind him. He'd been so absorbed in trying to analyze their actions that he hadn't notice Puck come up to the desk and then move just behind him.

"Hey Puck," he said casually, trying to block the monitors, not sure of how much Puck had seen.

"Why are you watching my cousin?"

Crap. Evidently he'd seen a lot.

Luca blushed. "Um…"

"Are you watching her and Finn get it on?" Puck stepped forward, ready to get to the bottom of this. Truth be told, he wanted to take care of this to protect his cousin, but also to protect himself, since he and Quinn had stopped the elevator earlier for a quickie, and unlike Finn, he hadn't thought to cover the camera. "Do you like her?"

Luca said nothing, the blush on his face telling Puck everything he needed to know.

Puck sighed. Nana really owed him. He came here to kick some ass, not play therapist. Yet all he'd done since he'd gotten here is give advice and not one person's ass was in danger other than Finn's. And that wasn't even by him.

He pushed Luca into the back room, shutting the door behind him. "Look, man, I'm going to level with you. It's _not_ going to happen. If there's one thing my cousin knows, it's what she wants. And what she wants is _that_."

He pointed to the screen frozen on Finn pinning Rachel against the wall, their mouths fused together. "Finn. She wants Finn and he wants her."

Luca looked down at his feet. "That's what my mom said. She said he worships the ground she walks on."

"And she's fucking right. _Everyone_ can fucking see it, except for you and Sue apparently. You really want to get in the way of that? Give it up; she'll never be as happy with you as she is with him."

"She might. You never know," Luca insisted stubbornly.

Puck rubbed his temples in frustration. Once again, Rachel had managed to somehow find a way to be a pain in his ass, even if she had no idea about it. "I _do_ know. Rachel and I grew up together and we know each other inside and out. I've never seen Rachel look at anyone the way she looks at him."

"That's because he's _always_ there. If I could just get her alone…" Luca trailed off, lost in the idea.

Puck placed his head in his hands. This guy was really in denial. "Look you little Peeping Tom, if you don't believe me look at the tape. Cue it up to some random time when they aren't mauling each other, like this morning at breakfast."

Obediently, he cued the camera to show Brittany, Quinn, and Kurt being led to a table. He sped through them talking to his mother and Sue, stopping when he saw Rachel enter the scene and sit down next to Brittany.

Puck watched intently, seemingly watching for something. "There. Right there. Do you see what she's doing?"

Luca paused the tape, shrugging. "She's talking to Brittany, Quinn and Kurt while she steals Brittany's fruit."

"No. Her eyes; look at her eyes. She's talking to them, but she's constantly glancing over at the doorway. She's watching for _him_," Puck insisted. He was a police officer, he spent large amounts of time studying people on surveillance and one of the things he was trained to look for was eye movement. He'd noticed it as soon as Rachel had sat down. She was conversing perfectly normally, but her eyes were betraying her, showing her to be clearly expecting something.

"She is not. There was probably something interesting going on over there," Luca replied stubbornly, unpausing the tape and continuing to watch.

"Stop the tape," Puck demanded again. He pushed Luca out of the way, getting the tape to the exact spot he wanted, a close up of Rachel's face. "Do you see it?"

Luca peered closely at the image. Rachel clearly had a look of joy on her face as she stared at something off screen. Her eyes were wide and lit up with excitement, as a huge smile appeared on her face. He shrugged. "She's clearly excited or happy about something."

"Not something, _someone._ I guarantee you Finn is going to appear on the screen in a second," Puck predicted, unpausing the tape.

Sure enough, to Luca's extreme disappointment, Finn strode into the scene immediately, smiling at Rachel as he sat down next to her. He continued watching as Finn and Rachel got up to get food, talking and laughing, looking only at each other. He bit his lip as he watched Rachel stare at Finn when he wasn't even looking at her.

Puck fast forwarded again through his own arrival, watching himself leave with Quinn. Kurt and Brittany left soon after, as did Finn. Rachel was left alone until Luca himself came into the scene, and Puck slowed the tape down. "Look at her face when she sees you. It's not the same. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Luca refused to answer, continuing to watch himself talk with Rachel, who suddenly got a huge smile on her face. "There! I just said something and now she's all lit up!"

His excitement was premature because once again her smile preceded Finn's immediate arrival and his face fell.

Puck placed a hand on Luca's back, feeling bad for him. "The camera doesn't lie, man. She's made her choice and _it's not you_."

Luca put his head in his hands. "What am I doing?"

"Chasing after a lost cause while ignoring what's right in front of you," Puck replied, opening the door and peeking out.

"What are you talking about?" Luca asked, picking his head up to look at Puck.

"Bianca. The entire time I was watching you, she walked past three times and she just did it again."

"So? She always comes to visit me when I'm at the front counter. She probably brought me some food again."

"Are you fucking stupid?"

Luca stared at Puck. "What?"

"She brings you food? She wants you, man."

"No she doesn't. She probably just wanted to ask me something."

Puck peeked out the door again. "Well here's your chance. She's coming by again."

He opened the door wider, just as Bianca past. "Hey, Bianca. Luca's in here."

She blushed, embarrassed at having been caught. "I was just walking past and I thought I'd see if you changed your mind about going to the soccer game tonight."

"He did. He wants to go," Puck announced, elbowing Luca when he saw Bianca's face light up.

"But what about your date?" she asked, trying to contain her excitement.

"Oh, well, uh…hold on." Luca pulled Puck back into the room, closing the door again. "Why did you tell her I'd go?"

"Because you are. She's totally into you. Didn't you see how excited she got?" Puck replied; amazed at how slow Quinn's side of the family could be. Hopefully Beth took after him.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"No, just go," Puck commanded, opening the door and pushing Luca out. "His date cancelled, Bianca. He's all yours."

Bianca's face lit up again, this time causing Luca to smile. "Uh, what time is the game?"

Puck strode off, leaving them making plans. He was totally doing a kick ass job here. Rachel was incredibly happy with Finn and as a result was much less of a pain in his ass and he'd played matchmaker just now for Quinn's cousin. Quinn was sure to be happy about both Rachel and Luca which meant that he'd be getting lucky soon.

Plus, Nana would be thrilled about Rachel. When Nana had called him, she'd kept going on about some soul mate crap and some moment. He hadn't been totally listening because Brittany's stupid cat had just attacked him as he'd come out of Beth's room to answer the phone, scratching the hell out of his leg, but he understood that Nana wanted him to come over and help Rachel.

Yep, all was right on Officer Puckerman's watch.

He headed off, ready to find Quinn and collect his reward.

* * *

><p>As promised, Rachel showed Sam the hotel, bringing him down to the poolbeach area last. She left him by the bar, talking to the bartender.

She hurried down to the beach, pleased she'd managed to escape Sam. He was perfectly nice, but not for her.

Unfortunately for Rachel, the one person she'd decided _was_ for her was nowhere to be found. While playing tour guide, she'd searched all over, purposely saving the beach for last, hoping she'd find Finn sitting on the sand like last time and more than ready to recreate their sexual escapades.

No such luck. The beach was completely empty, the moon floating lazily in the sky while the sea gently lapped against the shore.

She smiled as her eyes fell on the spot where she'd made love to Finn, still cordoned off with cones and yellow tape. It reminded her of that movie _Down to You, _where the female protagonist says she wants to preserve a kiss in a box to show her grandchildren. Her eyes misted over, suddenly understanding how the female protagonist felt, since in her opinion, their spot should stay cordoned off forever because her first time with Finn had been _that_ perfect.

Which was why she'd made a pit stop in her room while serving as tour guide. She pulled out the empty vitamin bottle she'd retrieved from her room and bent down next to their spot, unscrewing the top. Carefully, she scooped some of the sand into the bottle, wanting to have a physical memory of their first time forever.

"What are you doing?"

Rachel looked up in surprise to see Sam standing nearby. She stared at him, trying to figure out what to say. "I, uh, wanted a memento of the beach area."

"Oh." Sam seemed unimpressed. "Uh, why is this area barricaded off?"

Rachel looked down, lost in the memory of exactly why this area was barricaded. "Two people made love on the beach last night and this crazy woman heard. She's trying to figure out who it is."

Sam chuckled. "Sounds like someone needs something to do."

"I agree. I-" she paused as the melodious sounds of Aunt Sue's bullhorn filled the air up by the pool. "_Oh no_."

She glanced up at the pool area in horror as Aunt Sue's profile came into view by the railing as she yelled at some poor unsuspecting man. Her first instinct was to run and hide, since Sue would like nothing more than to see Rachel by the scene of the crime with a man, even if he wasn't _the _man, although Sue would have no way of knowing that.

_Sue would have no way of knowing that._

Rachel grinned, an idea formulating in her mind. She glanced at Sue out of the corner of her eye, waiting for just the right moment. The second Sue looked down at the beach, she threw herself at Sam, who'd just started talking about _Avatar_ again. She launched herself into his arms, forcing her lips onto his. Sam, surprised by Rachel jumping into his arms, tore his lips from hers.

"Whoa. What are you doing?"

"I'll explain later. Just go with it for right now." Rachel resumed kissing him, opening her eyes to glance up at Sue. Sure enough, Sue was watching with a look of absolute horror on her face. Since she knew Sue was watching, she let her hands travel down to cup Sam's rear end.

"What about your boyfriend?" Sam asked, pulling his face from hers again. Her boyfriend was _huge_. Sure, he was built, but Finn easily had three or four inches on him and his dad would kill him if he had to represent the restaurant with a black eye.

"He'll understand. Just kiss me," Rachel promised, resuming her kissing, but purposely keeping her tongue firmly in her own mouth.

"If you say so." He started kissing her back, and the thought hit her that she was kissing _Sam Evans_. The man she'd waited for. The one who was supposed to wait for her.

And she felt…nothing.

She couldn't help but compare Sam's kissing to Finn's. Sam's kisses had a sort of dullness about them making her feel like she was kissing a rock, and his lips were kind of scratchy, while Finn's soft lips often made her feel lightheaded and had a sort of vulnerability about them. His kisses often conveyed a sense of need, this feeling of want, almost as if he couldn't get enough of her.

She did a Sue check again, noting that Sue was no longer by the railing. Thank God, since that meant she could stop kissing Sam. She quickly pulled her face away, sliding down his body. "Thank you."

"Uh, no problem, but what was that about?"

"Finn and I were the ones making love on the beach last night. Sue knows it was me, but she doesn't know it was Finn. She's been threatening to brand the guy's posterior when she found out who it was. She was just up by the railing watching us."

"So…now she's gonna wanna brand _my_ ass?" Sam asked slowly.

"Yes, sorry about that," Rachel replied, not particularly sorry, since it meant that Finn that would be off the hook. "But you're leaving now anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Just don't let her see you."

"I won't, but uh, since I helped you out, do you think you could help me out?" Sam asked nervously.

"Sure," Rachel answered, looking longingly at the steps, anxious to get away and find Finn.

"Your friend, the blonde one who left with you yesterday. Do you think you could introduce me to her?"

"Quinn? Yeah, sure," Rachel replied, already moving towards the steps and not paying attention to the meaning of Sam's words. Her phone beeped, indicating a text message. She opened it up, smiling when she saw a message from Noah.

_Spoke to Nana. She said to tell you it's Serendipity, whatever the fuck that means._

Her mouth dropped open. Nana was right. It was totally Serendipity. She'd set out to find Sam Evans and had found Finn instead. How had she not realized it before? Nana had realized it when Rachel called, and she hadn't. She started laughing at how stupid she was. Everyone knew it, but her. Finn really _was_ Sam.

"Are you ok?"

Rachel looked up at Sam. "What color are your eyes?"

"Uh, hazel," Sam replied, not understanding why she was asking.

"I'm sorry, I really need to go." She raced up the stairs, not wanting to waste another minute.

"Wait! Why?"

Rachel turned to look at him from the top of the stairs. "Because your eyes aren't amber."

* * *

><p>"How's the hand, Dude?" Finn asked as they stepped out of Kurt's room. It had taken 4 bars of soap and both Brittany and Finn pulling, but they'd managed to get it slippery enough for them to pull Kurt's hand out. He and Brittany had immediately began disinfecting their hands, while simultaneously reassuring Finn that he was in fact Sam.<p>

Kurt grimaced, looking at his bruised wrist. "I cannot _believe_ that I had to rescue my mother's brooch from a toilet."

"I know, it was great," Finn added, still laughing at the sight of Kurt stuck in a toilet. He couldn't wait to show Rachel the pictures. "You have to admit it was funny."

"I fail to see the humor in the situation," Kurt snapped. "I thought we agreed never to speak of this again."

"Ah there you two are." Sue stopped in front of Kurt and Finn, ignoring Brittany. "Good news re: Operation Pale Buns. After much investigating by one Sue Sylvester, I'm happy to say that the culprit has been found. I expect to be branding his ass within the next twenty-four hours. Your invitations will be arriving shortly."

Finn blanched. How had she found out? He'd barely seen her since this morning. He mulled her words over in his head.

_Your invitations will be arriving shortly._

Invitations plural. Could it be possible she had the wrong guy? He glanced at Kurt, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"So Sue, what did it? How did you figure it out?" Kurt asked casually.

"Well Gomez, Lurch, I'll tell you this. It wasn't easy, since Rachel refused to cooperate. Fortunately, Sue Sylvester never rests and I stumbled upon a key piece of evidence just now."

"Really? And what was that?" Finn questioned nervously.

"I was out by the pool just now on my way to do a routine check of the crime scene when I came upon the one and only Rachel Berry locked in a passionate embrace on the beach with the owner of the aforementioned pale buns."

"_What_? That's impossible!" Kurt said sharply. Beside him, Finn stood mute, unable to say anything, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"I assure you I was just as disgusted as you two are. My eyes are _still_ burning." She shuddered. "At least you two didn't have to see it. She was attacking him like two fat kids fighting over the last candy bar."

"Are you _sure_ it was Rachel?" Kurt pressed, glancing at Finn out of the corner of his eye.

"Positive. Although I will say that the ass doesn't look quite as nice covered in clothes. It looked much different."

Finn seethed, his face contorted in shock. There was a reason the ass looked much different…it wasn't _his_ ass.

Which meant Rachel was kissing someone else. And to make it worse, she was kissing someone else in _their _spot.

"What did this guy look like?" he practically whispered, already knowing the answer.

"Jealous? I have to admit, the way you're always hanging around Rachel put you high on my list of suspects, right behind Porcelain here, but I think the way she was mauling him makes him my number one suspect. I'm just waiting for official confirmation from the crime lab, but it looks like the Macauley Caulkin stunt double is my guy. Got my branding iron ready to go."

Finn gulped at the sight of the branding iron in Sue's hand. Well there was the one bright spot in the middle of all this crap. Sam deserved to be branded for kissing _his_ Rachel. For that's what she was, his, just like he was hers. They could go around kissing all the people they wanted, but at the end of the day, they belonged with each other. Why was he the only one who knew this?

He doubted that Sam even knew how to kiss Rachel properly. She liked a kiss that started out gentle but had an underlying layer of passion which would gradually take over as the kissing continued. She preferred no tongue at first, not wanting to get slobbered on, something he was sure Sam wouldn't know.

"You ok, Lurch?" Sue asked, peering at him.

Not bothering to answer, he turned around and stormed into his room, glad it was right across from Kurt's.

"What's his problem? He should be ecstatic he was cleared of all wrong doing. Expect your invitations to be delivered tonight, pending crime lab clearance." She stormed away, leaving a stunned Brittany and Kurt behind.

They immediately began knocking on Finn's door to no avail.

"Finn? Let us in!"

The door opened, revealing a miserable looking Finn holding a suitcase. He stormed out of the room, heading for the lobby, Brittany and Kurt right behind him.

"Finn! You can't leave!" Kurt cried, hurrying to catch up with his brother's long strides.

"_You're Sam_. You can't go!" Brittany exclaimed.

Finn turned to stare sadly at them. "_I'm Sam_? If I was Sam, I'd be on the beach kissing Rachel right now instead of talking to you two. You heard the story Quinn told. You find your soul mate under the full moon on the beach. Look at the moon!" He pointed to the moon through the window, the _almost _perfect circle floating lazily in the early evening sky.

"But Finn. That's not-"

"I have to get out of here. I can't be here watching her be with _him_, knowing she can't be with me because of my damn name, when every single other thing about me was made for her. She once told me she was born to kiss me, but she's wrong. It's the other way around," Finn spat out as he entered the lobby.

"Finn, wait. That's-"

Ignoring Kurt and Brittany's protests, he marched over to Sue Sylvester, who was leaning on the counter, interrogating the night front deskman about the whereabouts of her crime lab documents. "Hey Sue!"

Sue turned and looked at him, a look of annoyance on her face. "What do you want Gigantor? I'm busy here."

Finn turned around and pulled his basketball shorts down, allowing Sue Sylvester a clear view of his ass. "Look familiar?"

Sue stared, a look of fury forming on her face as recognition dawned, but before she could say anything, he pulled his pants up and stormed out.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Sorry for the delay because I HATE having to wait a month for an update, but I kept looking at what I'd written and knew something wasn't right. I was so disgusted, I didn't even look at it for two weeks, which was why 10 Days got updated so much.**_


	19. Two Sams and a Fountain

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine :(_**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Well, one thing I can tell you...if it isn't complicated, he probably isn't a soul mate." <strong>_

_**- Roswell**_

* * *

><p><em>Rodrigo ripped Helena's shirt open, freeing her large breasts from their corseted prison. <em>

"_Take me, my love," Helena cried, lying back on the couch as Rodrigo stripped himself of his breeches and boots. Groaning from the sensation of his bare skin meeting Helena's silky thighs, he brought his lips down to close around one pebbled nipple. His straining length pressed at her entrance._

_He paused, looking down at the vixen below him, his manhood quivering to go further. "Are you feeling ok, my beauty?"_

_Eyes closed, Helena lifted her hips, letting the folds of her sex rub against his aching tip. Rodrigo took that for her assent, pushing himself in further. Both groaned in pleasure as the sensations overwhelmed their bodies._

"_Rodrigo…"_

_**I wanna sex you up/All night/You make me feel real good/I want to/I wanna rub you down/I wanna sex you up**_

Quinn jumped as the sound of Color Me Badd's _I Wanna Sex You Up _filled the air, interrupting her reading and preventing her from finding out what Helena was about to say to Rodrigo. Furious that Puck had secretly changed her ringtone _again,_ she grabbed her cell phone out of her bag, opening the text message that had just been sent from Kurt.

_Emergency! Team Finchel meeting in my room stat._

Quinn frowned, trying to figure out what the emergency could possibly be. Kurt had sent the message marked high importance. Not quite sure what Team Finchel was, she grabbed her things and quickly made her way up to Kurt's room.

"It's about time! We have a _huge_ emergency. _Huge," _Kurt announced upon answering Quinn's knocks.

"What's going on?" she asked as she strode into the room, taking in the scene in front of her. Brittany was sitting on the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest as she rocked back and forth while Kurt had resumed the pacing he'd been doing before he'd answered the door for Quinn.

"We have a _huge_ emergency. _Huge,_" Kurt repeated, not pausing his pacing.

"I got that. What I don't get is _what happened_. And does somebody want to tell me what Team Finchel is?" Quinn replied, sitting on the armchair near the bed.

"_We're_ Team Finchel." Kurt stopped his pacing to stare at Quinn, who stared back at him with a confused look on her face. "Really Quinn, I'm disappointed in you. _Finchel_. Like Brangelina or Bennifer."

"It's Finn minus an n and Rachel minus the Ra," Brittany added, still clutching her pillow. "I wanted Rain, but I got outvoted."

"How did you get outvoted if there were only two of you?" Quinn asked curiously.

"Kurt got two votes because of the toilet," Brittany explained, as if that made it clear. "We also decided that you and Puck are Quick."

Quinn laughed. "Ok, I get that now, but what's the emergency?"

Kurt paused for dramatic effect, placing his hands together in front of his mouth for a moment. "Sam Evans has made himself known."

"Come again?"

"Sam Evans has shown up. He's here _and_ he's kissing Rachel."

"_What?"_ Quinn jumped out of her arm chair in surprise. "What do you mean _he's_ kissing Rachel? Where's Finn?"

"That's the other part of the emergency. We don't know. He took his suitcase and left after we got Kurt out of the toilet. We tried to follow him, but there was a cab just about to leave. He got into it before we could stop him." The news seemed to stress Brittany out, since she gripped the pillow harder, her rocking picking up speed as she explained clearly distressed by the story she just told.

Quinn stared at them, her head spinning from these new developments. From what she could gather, Sam Evans _had_ shown up, Rachel had kissed him, which made Finn leave and at some point, Kurt had had a run in with a toilet. "Ok, back up and start from the beginning My mind is having trouble wrapping around all of this."

She listened intently as Kurt narrated the recent events again, a feeling of nausea growing in her stomach. "But this can't be. Finn _is_ Sam."

"_Yo __Hummel, __open __up! __Have __you __seen __Q?"_

Quinn, her brain still trying to process everything Kurt had just told her, opened the door for her husband before turning and walking back to her armchair, paying no attention to him whatsoever.

"Why are you in here with them? I thought we were going to up our sex count?" Puck demanded, following Quinn back into the room.

"It just _can't_ be. Sam can't be Sam because Finn is Sam," Quinn went on, ignoring her husband's questions.

"But if he's Sam, then why is Sam _Sam?_ And why is she with Sam Sam and not Finn Sam?_" _Kurt questioned, also ignoring Puck, not quite sure why he was here.

"No. There has to be something we're missing. Sam is Sam, but we all know he's not _Sam_. He's just not," Brittany decided.

"Will somebody please tell me what the hell you three are talking about? I don't speak crazy."

All three heads turned to look in surprise at Puck, having forgotten that he was in the room.

"All hell has broken loose Puck. Finn's gone and Rachel's kissing someone else," Kurt said simply.

Puck stared dumbly at Kurt, his mouth hanging open. "What? You mean kissing on the cheek right?"

"Nope," Kurt announced, popping the 'p' sound.

"What the hell happened? I thought they were doing the nasty all day in Finn's room. Was this guy hiding in the closet or something?" Puck demanded, his head swiveling rapidly between the three of them.

"We don't know. We only know what Sue told us," Brittany answered, still clutching her pillow to her chest like it was a life preserver. ""It's just not him, it can't be. He didn't even come out from behind a door. He's supposed to come out from behind a door."

"So where did Finn go?" Puck asked, still confused.

"He left once he heard Rachel was kissing someone on the beach under the full moon," Kurt replied. "He should have found someone better to copy off of in high school because he got it wrong. _Last __night_ was the full moon, not tonight."

"What the fuck does the moon have to do with Finn leaving?"

"Remember the legend of this place? _Your soul mate will be the one you kiss on the beach under a full moon_," Quinn prompted. "He heard from Sue that Rachel was kissing someone else on the beach. I just can't believe that Rachel honestly thinks Sam is Sam when we all know he's not."

"_Who __the __hell __is __Sam_?" Puck yelled in frustration, his starting to spin with all of the double talk.

"The guy Rachel's kissing on the beach tonight, that isn't Finn. Try and keep up, _Noah_," Quinn replied, getting exasperated with her husband. "He's the reason we thought we came to Italy for, but we were wrong, we came for Finn."

The use of his given name wasn't lost on Puck, but the meaning of her words was. He placed his fingers on his temples, getting more frustrated by the minute. "What do you mean you came here for Finn?"

"We came to find Rachel's soul mate. Finn came from behind the door, I know it's him," Brittany wailed, clutching the pillow to her chest even tighter.

"And you decided she'd find him on the beach?"

"Puck, don't you remember? She came to find _Sam __Evans. _Remember the Fortune Cookie?" Brittany implored. "_Be __open __to __love, __for __the __one __you __love __is __outside __your __door._ Sam never came out of a door, Finn did. Finn is Sam._"_

"And your grandparent's love story?" Quinn added. "You know how it affected Rachel."

"It's just not right. The Fortune Teller had to see it in her crystal ball wrong. Sam isn't her soul mate. He's just not."

Puck stared at them, his mouth hanging open as the pieces slowly fell into place and memories came flooding back.

Sam Evans.

The Fortune Cookie.

Rachel's eighth birthday party.

He continued staring at them, suddenly feeling like he was going to be sick.

* * *

><p>Finn flung himself down the bed, sighing heavily and willing himself to go to sleep although he doubted that sleep would help him forget Rachel. His entire body ached, since his streak of rotten luck had continued on the train from Amalfi when he'd been forced to share a compartment with a young couple who did nothing but make-out the entire ride from Amalfi to Rome. He'd immediately tried to find another seat in a different compartment, only to find that the train was completely full. Forced to return to his original seat, he spent the entire ride squishing his large body into it, averting his eyes from the couple but unable to avoid hearing their moans.<p>

It was like rubbing salt in an open wound. That should have been him and Rachel completely making the people around them uncomfortable as they furiously made out. Instead, she was making out with someone else while he was lying in a hotel room in Rome.

Alone.

He closed his eyes, trying to rid himself of the images that had been cycling through his brain ever since he'd found out.

_The moon illuminating her naked body._

_Rachel snuggled against him._

_Her smile._

_That cute way she bit her lip._

_Her face being the first thing he saw when he woke up._

He opened his eyes quickly. Clearly, sleep was not going to be an option for him, since his mind refused to cooperate and erase all memories of Rachel. He sat up, wondering if he should tell Kurt where he was but decided against it, since it was Kurt's fault he was in this predicament in the first place.

He stood up, trying to decide what to do. The suitcase that had accompanied his escape caught his eye and he opened it, deciding to sketch out his problems.

Crap.

Seriously, he really had the shittiest luck. In his haste to get the hell out of Amalfi, he'd somehow managed to grab _Kurt__'__s_ suitcase. He frowned, trying to figure out how the hell he'd ended up with Kurt's suitcase until he'd remembered that Kurt had seen him dropping his shoes off in his room this morning and had immediately come over suitcase in hand to ask his opinion about some stupid piece of clothing. Brittany had shown up, dragging Kurt off to her room to deal with some fashion emergency and Finn had slipped out, locking the forgotten suitcase in his room.

Well this was just fucking great. What the hell was he going to do now? He had no art supplies and a suitcase of designer clothes that would never fit him. He'd been in such a crazed state that he hadn't even notice he'd grabbed Kurt's stupid Louis Vuitton suitcase rather than his simple black one. He stood up, kicking the suitcase as hard as he could.

The kick felt decidedly satisfactory, so he did it again. And again. And again. He picked it up by the rolling handle, slamming it against the floor as hard as he could. Again, the result gave him immense pleasure, so he repeated the motion, not stopping until the handle actually snapped off the suitcase.

The separation of the handle from the suitcase seemed to snap him out of destructive mood and he stared down at it, knowing that Kurt was going to kick _his_ ass when he saw the state of his suitcase. Sighing, he rubbed his temples. The destruction of the suitcase felt great, but it really did nothing to clear his head.

He sat down on the suitcase, feeling it cave in from his weight as he tried to make sense of Sue's words. How could it be possible? Rachel had just told him this morning that she didn't feel the need to look for Sam, but the second Sam shows up, she was all over him. It wasn't fair. Nothing about Sam was made for Rachel.

In high school, whenever he'd had a problem, Coach Beiste had advised him to run it out, claiming that his problems wouldn't be able to catch up with him. Maybe he should try that. Perhaps if he ran fast enough, Rachel and all his memories of her would just fly out of his head.

Yes, that's what he'd do. He'd run. He'd run so fast and so hard that Rachel would be a distant memory.

Feeling slightly better, he threw the handle of the suitcase down on the ground and sprinted towards the door.

* * *

><p>"This is all your fault, Kurt," Brittany accused, pointing her finger at Kurt.<p>

"My fault? How is this _my _fault?" Kurt demanded.

"You just _had_ to go and get your hand stuck in a toilet," Brittany responded, resuming her rocking. "If you hadn't gotten your hand stuck, Finn wouldn't of left Rachel and she would never have kissed Sam. _Your fault_."

Quinn glanced at her husband, who'd grown increasingly quiet. She racked her brain, trying to stop the argument she could see forming. "Brits, it's not Kurt's fault. It's Rachel's for being so stupid and not seeing what was in front of her."

"But what are we going to do? Finn's gone and Rachel's kissing the wrong Sam."

"Maybe we should go look for Finn?" Quinn suggested, glancing once again at Puck, who was still sitting there silent. She was slightly annoyed at him. This was _his_ cousin and considering he'd come here specifically to check on her, he certainly wasn't showing any concern right now.

Kurt shook his head. "How? We have no idea where he went. I supposed we could ask around if anyone's seen him."

"Are you guys stupid? What century is this? Just call his cell phone," Puck spat out a little more forcefully than he intended, speaking for the first time.

Kurt whipped out his phone, dialing quickly. Disappointment flooded the room when Finn's cell phone was heard ringing in the bathroom. Brittany rushed into the bathroom, quickly coming out with the phone in her hand.

"Now we'll never find him," she wailed, holding out the phone. "If he didn't even take his cell phone, what _did_ he take?"

"How should I know?" Kurt snapped, his frustration at the situation getting the better of him.

"Geez, you guys really are dumb. Check his room." Puck rubbed his temples, still in disbelief at this whole situation.

Kurt took off, Brittany, Quinn and Puck on his heels. Fortunately for them, Finn hadn't completely shut the door when he'd left before, allowing them easy entrance to his room.

"His suitcase is still here," Quinn said thoughtfully. She opened the wardrobe. "So are his clothes."

"No, he left with a suitcase," Brittany said positively.

"Are you sure?" Puck asked, looking around and opening a few drawers, his police training kicking in as he surveyed the room. "There's no passport or anything important."

"Positive. He had a Louis Vuitton suitcase. I remember because I was surprised that Finn would own a Louis Vuitton suitcase," Brittany confirmed, crossing her arms over her chest and daring anyone to contradict her.

Kurt's head snapped up. He'd been thinking over Finn's leaving, trying to think of anything that would help them. "Louis Vuitton? That's _my_ suitcase! The idiot took my clothes! How did I not notice my suitcase leaving?"

"Do you think he really left?" Brittany asked, placing a hand on Kurt's arm as she led him back to his own room, who was now more concerned with the whereabouts of his missing clothes than his missing brother. Quinn and Puck followed, each lost in their own thoughts.

"He probably just went into town and is sitting at a restaurant," Quinn decided. "He can't leave. He's Sam."

"Yeah, with my clothes," Kurt muttered. "He better not try to force any of them onto his gigantic body."

"Will you focus?" Puck snapped as he sat back on Kurt's bed. "We have bigger problems than your stupid clothes."

"You're right," Kurt replied, collapsing onto the chair across from the bed. "What are we going to do?"

They fell silent for a moment, each trying to think of what they could possibly do to help the situation.

Unfortunately for them, there were three people who could possibly shed some light on the situation. Two of them were nowhere to be found and the third wasn't talking.

Yet.

* * *

><p>Finn panted, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Running his problems out was definitely <em>not<em> his best idea ever. First of all, just like the real Rachel, his mental Rachel was super stubborn and refused to leave his mind. Second of all, who the hell knew Rome was so freaking big?

He felt like he'd been running forever and it hadn't helped. It also didn't help that everywhere he went, there were lovers kissing or holding hands, making it even harder to escape his problems. Maybe he should walk, that way he could keep his head down and avoid having to see people. Slowly, he started walking aimlessly, not particularly caring where he went but not wanting to stay still.

Coming to a street corner, he looked up, intending to check for coming traffic, but his eyes fell on a sign indicating the Trevi Fountain was nearby instead.

He paused. He'd been purposely avoiding any place he'd gone to with Rachel and the Trevi Fountain was one place that was definitely Rachel free, since he'd never been there before. As an artist, he'd be remiss if he didn't go there, since the Trevi Fountain had long been revered for its sculptures in the art world. Quickly, he followed the signs.

Wow.

The enormous fountain, situated in a spot where three roads meet, loomed in front of him. The God of all water rose majestically in the center of the fountain, presiding over the entire scene. Spotlights illuminated the clear water at the base of the fountain, while other spotlights were strategically placed throughout the scupltures themselves, giving the fountain a romantic glow by night. Awestruck, Finn sat down on a bench, taking in the incredible details on the sculptures, his artist eyes feasting on the magnificent sight in front of him.

"_Hai un problema?_"

"Huh?" Startled, Finn turned to his left to see an old man sitting next to him.

"_Hai un problema?_" he repeated, watching as Finn shook his head negatively. "The problem. You have one, yes?"

"Oh. Yeah, yeah I do."

"I thought so," the old man said proudly. "I say to myself when I see you come, he has big problem. A girl, si?"

Finn ran his hand through his hair, wishing this guy would leave him the hell alone. "Yeah. A girl."

"You come to the right place. No better place to be when you have problems. The fountain will help you find your way."

"Look, I appreciate you telling me, but I don't think-" Finn began, trying to tell this guy to leave him alone nicely.

"_Mi chiamo Enrico._ I am Enrico," the old man announced, holding out his hand. "Who you are?"

"Finn," he replied wearily, realizing this guy wasn't going to go away as he shook Enrico's offered hand.

"_Allora_, we talk Finn. Why you have girl problems? Too many girls?"

Ha. That was the joke of the century.

"No. Just the one. Rachel."

"Rachel," Enrico repeated. "She is _bellissima_, yes?"

Finn sighed, immediately getting lost in the vision of Rachel. "You have no idea. She has these amazing deep brown eyes and a smile that practically blinds me, it's so bright. Her hair is so shiny and soft and her legs go on for miles, even though she's tiny."

Enrico smiled. "She sounds beautiful."

"She is. There's no one as beautiful as her," Finn said firmly, before realizing his word vomit. A quick glance down at the hand resting on Enrico's cane revealed a gold wedding band. _Shit._ Enrico was probably married to a woman he considered the most beautiful woman in the world. "Sorry. I'm sure your wife is beautiful too."

Enrico smiled sadly. "My wife, she die last year."

"Oh. Were you married a long time?" Finn asked, trying to smooth over his faux pas.

"54 years," he announced proudly before gesturing to the bench they were sitting on. "We meet right here."

"Really? You met her right on this bench?" Finn asked, impressed.

"_Si. _One day, my friend Giorgio, he tell me, meet me at the _bar _instead of working because he want to go to the _calcio_ game_. _The bar was right there, you understand." He pointed to what was now a tourist shop, lost in his memories. "I come, but I was mad at losing the money from working. The war had just ended and I needed the money for my mother and I. I sit right here, waiting for Giorgio, but he never come. I tell myself, I wait only five minutes more and then I leave_."_

"So what happened?" Finn asked, interested in spite of himself.

"I wait and I watch the people. I see many people out that day, but my eyes, they find Elena _immediamente_. She was so beautiful, wearing a green dress and a matching hat. I watch her, talking and fighting with another man but I see her stare at me too. The wind, it takes the hat right off her head and the hat, it comes to me. I pick it up, feeling like I'm holding an angel's halo. Elena, she come running over to thank me and I knew. I knew when I heard her speak that she would be the woman I marry."

"What about Elena? Did she have the moment too?"

"_Si,_ but Elena, she was very stubborn. The man she was with was her boyfriend. He was an ass, he not deserve someone as beautiful as Elena and I tell her so, but still she stay with him."

"So what did you do?" Finn stared at him, thinking that this sounded a lot like a World War II version of himself and Rachel.

"I come here the next day and I eat lunch on this bench because I think to myself that Elena must pass through here to go home." He smiled, lost in his memories.

"And did she? What happened? Was the boyfriend with her?"

"_Si. _The next day, Elena pass by alone, and she see me on this bench eating. She stop to talk to me before she must go home to eat. The next day, when I eat on this bench, Elena she join me with _her _lunch. We eat lunch together everyday after that."

"But what about the ass boyfriend?" Finn pressed worriedly, since this was the part of the story _he_ was at now.

Enrico waved a hand dismissively. "The boyfriend is no problem. I know she was going to marry me, and she know too. He is, how you say, a distraction. Everyday, we eat together and we talk, but we never mention the boyfriend. We talk and talk about everything and become confidantes. Then one day, Elena come to the bench and she say, _I not date Lancilotto anymore, _just like that."

Finn snickered. "Lancilotto. What a stupid name. You must have been happy though."

Enrico smiled. "I agree. _È molto stupido. _I was happy, so so happy because I know she was for me. I know by then that I loved her and now I know she love me too but I wait. I wait for _un segno_."

"A what?"

"_Un segno._ A sign."

"Oh. Why does everyone need a sign? Why can't people just see what's in front of them?" Finn asked bitterly.

Enrico nodded in understanding. "Rachel, she need a sign?"

Finn exhaled before launching into the entire story. Enrico listened intently, asking an occasional question. "So that's basically it. She's kissing Sam Evans, the one she's waiting for, while I'm sitting on a bench."

"You know, one day, we sit here and my friend Giorgio, he see us. He come over to tell me that he forgot where we meet for the _calcio_ game the day I meet Elena. He went to the game because he thought I was there. But I wasn't. I was here. I was here because I am supposed to be here to meet Elena. It's the same for you. You should be home teaching the school, but you are here because you are supposed to be here. Rachel, she should be home getting married, but she came here anyway. This Sam, she not love him. He is a distraction, a _Lancilotto_."

Finn frowned. Even a complete stranger could see it, so why couldn't Rachel? "You really think so?"

Enrico nodded. "Si."

"What happened with you and Elena? Did you get your sign?"

"One day, we were sitting on this bench and an old lady come over to us and she tell Elena, your husband he is so handsome. Elena was embarassed and tells the woman she is wrong, but the lady she say, _no, he your husband. You'll marry him_."

"Wow. That's definitely a sign. Someone thought Rachel and I were on our Honeymoon," Finn confessed.

"I ask Elena to marry me right here on this bench and every year on our anniversary, we'd come here and eat lunch." He smiled sadly.

"Oh. Is today your anniversay?"

"No. I come here every night now and I sit and I watch the people. Sometimes, I see a lady in a green dress and I think it is her. I forget she is not here anymore."

"I'm sorry," Finn stated, not quite sure what to say to the man who looked like he was about to cry.

"Don't be. I had 54 years together with Elena and it was time to share her with the Angels. There were times when I want to kill her for being so stubborn and times when she call me an ass, but we'd rather fight with each other than fight anyone else."

"That's how I feel about Rachel. Even if neither of us came to Italy, we would've still found each other, I'm sure of it. She drives me crazy, but in a way I like to be driven crazy, not the annoying way."

Enrico smiled. "So, then the question is, why are you here? Go throw your coins in the fountain and go get her."

"Huh? Coins?"

"Si. It is a tradition _alla Fontana di Trevi. _You throw one coin over your shoulder, you come back to Rome. Throw two coins, you find love. Here." He pressed some coins in Finn's hand.

"But there's three coins here. What's the third one for?" Finn asked, looking down at the coins and back up at Enrico.

Enrico simply smiled vaguely. "The day I meet Elena, I throw three coins in the fountain. Three coins is very special, to be used only when you've met your match, I think."

"But what does it do?"

"Toss them and see."

Obediently, Finn stood up and walked over to the fountain, still facing Enrico. "What do I do?"

"Face me and throw them over your left shoulder," Enrico directed, watching from his spot on the bench. "No. Your _left_ shoulder."

Embarrassed, Finn corrected himself and threw the coins over his shoulder. "Now what?"

"Now, you go get Rachel and let the coins do their magic. I don't want to see you back here unless it's with Rachel."

Finn smiled as he hugged Enrico goodbye. "Got it."

Feeling better than he had in a while, he hurried off, leaving the old man on his bench, lost in his memories of 54 years ago. He glanced back to look at Enrico for a second and he could swear he saw a younger version of Enrico talking to a woman in a green dress. He didn't have time to dwell on it though.

After all, he had a train to catch.

* * *

><p>Rachel hummed happily to herself as she got into the elevator. Not even the fact that Sam had followed her into the elevator could destroy her good mood. Noah's text message from Nana had been the final detail in the Sam Evans saga and she was more than ready to get back to Finn.<p>

Still humming happily, she made her way down the hall to Kurt's room, assuming Finn was in there and not even noticing that Sam was still following her.

"Rachel!" Kurt gasped out when he opened the door in response to her knocks. His eyes flickered to Sam standing behind her, his mouth setting into a thin line.

"Hi, Kurt!" Rachel announced cheerfully as she strode into the room, smiling at the other occupants, each of whom wore an expression of shock on their face. "Are you feeling better? Brittany was so worried."

"What…what are you doing here? And what is _he_ doing here?" Kurt asked, pointing to Sam who'd followed Rachel in.

"Huh? Oh, that's Sam," Rachel said carelessly. "Where's Finn? I really need to talk to him."

"I bet you do," Kurt muttered as he shut the door.

"Rachel, I need to talk to you," Puck demanded, standing up quickly, but not before noticing Sam checking out his wife.

"Can it wait, Noah? I really need to see Finn. Where is he?" She looked around the room expecting him to suddenly appear.

"Rachel, I _need_ to talk to you," he repeated.

"I understand that Noah, but right now I _need_ to talk to Finn, so you'll just have to wait. Now can someone tell me where he is?"

"He's in the bathroom, Rachel," Puck blurted out, ignoring the weird looks Kurt, Quinn and Brittany were giving him.

"Oh. Why didn't you just say that?" She stepped towards the closed bathroom door, knocking lightly. "Finny?"

Not getting an answer, she tried the handle of the door, cautiously pushing it open and receiving a shove from behind herself. She stumbled into the empty bathroom, whirling around to see Noah shutting the door behind him. "What the…?"

"I need to talk to you Rachel. Alone. Have a seat." He gestured to the toilet bowl, waiting until she sat on it before he sat on the edge of the tub.

"What is so important that you needed to lock me in a bathroom, Noah? I really need to find Finn," Rachel said crossly, placing her hands across her chest.

He stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out how to begin. "Do you remember how annoying you were when we were little?"

"Really, Noah? _That__'__s _what you wanted to talk about?" She tried to rise from the toilet, only to be pushed back by Noah.

"Hear me out."

"You have five minutes," Rachel announced, glancing down at her watch.

Noah sighed. "Fine. Do you remember the day I got my Mohawk?"

"Of course. It made its grand entrance at my eighth birthday party. I couldn't believe you showed up with that thing."

"Do you remember what you said?"

"I called you a skunk. I was just telling Quinn about that," Rachel replied, laughing at the memory. "But you told me you could see my underwear in the reflection of my Mary Janes, so it evened out since we both got in trouble with Nana and your mom."

"Yeah, but uh, do you remember what happened later? After Brits arrived?"

Rachel shrugged. "We had fun?"

She watched as Puck rubbed the back of his neck nervously, idly thinking that it looked much, much cuter when Finn did it.

"Whenever you saw me, you made a fanning motion with your hand as if you smelled something bad, and pinched your nose, like a skunk had just passed. You did it _every _time." He paused. "In front of Brittany."

"So? What are you trying to tell me, Noah? You liked Brittany when we were eight? I think that ship has sailed," Rachel replied, not understanding where this was going.

"Even at eight I was a stud and you knew it. I was already annoyed because I was the only boy at your party and then you spent all day telling Brits I looked like a skunk. I was pissed so I got back at you the one way I could."

"And what was that? Let me guess. You refused to play with me the next time we were at Nana's?" Rachel said impatiently. She really didn't have time for this. She should be the writhing in pleasure as Finn worshipped her body right now, not sitting on a toilet talking to her cousin.

"No, I always refused to play with you since you were so damn bossy. I'm talking about big revenge, something that was sure to drive you crazy. Nana had just told us the story of how she met Grandpa so-"

"Noah, seriously, I really don't have time for this trip down memory lane. As you would say, I need sex and I need it now, so get to the point," Rachel cut in.

"Rachel what did you learn that day?" The words came out in a rush, and he stared at her, waiting for her answer.

"Huh?"

"What did you learn that day?" Puck repeated. "Think Rachel. What did the Fortune Teller tell you?"

"That I'd be a big star on Broadway and that-" she paused, the realization setting in. She looked at him with wide eyes. "She told me the name of my soul mate."

Noah nodded.

"You heard me tell Brittany what I was going to ask, didn't you? You were on line behind us and you heard," Rachel accused, her voice getting louder.

Noah nodded again. "I slipped in and told the Gypsy to tell you that."

"But what about the Fortune Cookie?" she said slowly.

"Once again, you'd embarrassed me in front of Brittany, telling her I danced like a monkey and purposely calling me Noah. It was easy to have them give you a special fortune, since they handwrite them there anyway. You made it even easier by being the only one who liked those nasty chocolate fortune cookies."

Rachel stared at him, her mouth hanging open as she took in her cousin's words. "So because you liked Brittany and I embarrassed you, you decided to get back at me by creating my soul mate, Sam Evans."

"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to tell you. Don't-"

"Why Sam Evans? Where did you get that name from?" she asked slowly.

He sighed. "Remember when we used to stay with Nana and we'd always watch that old soap opera while we ate lunch?"

Rachel nodded. "_Dark __Shadows._ I remember."

"Remember the name of the artist on the show?" He waited, but Rachel stared at him blankly. "The artist's name was Sam Evans. I had been at Nana's the day before your party and we'd watched the show while we ate. Sam Evans had just been blinded that day, so the name was fresh in my head."

Rachel said nothing, continuing to stare at him. Nana was right. It really was Serendipity. She'd spent her life looking for Sam Evans, only to find Finn instead, her true soul mate. For that matter, Brittany had been right also, since she'd insisted that Finn was Sam and ironically Finn was an artist just like the Sam Evans Noah had chosen for her. "So you chose the name of my soul mate based on Nana's preference for a stupid soap opera?"

"Yeah, but-"

Noah didn't get any further, because Rachel flung herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and knocking both of them backwards into the tub.

"OW! What are you doing, Rachel?" Noah asked, beyond confused by her actions. He'd expected her to be furious about what he'd done, but if the smile gracing her face was any indication, furious was one thing she _wasn't_.

"Your stupid revenge and crush on Brittany was the best thing that ever happened to me! How else would I have found him?" Rachel asked, climbing off her cousin. If she accidentally kneed him in the groin while climbing off of him, that _may_ have just been her eight year old self getting revenge.

"But-"

"Rachel? Are you ok?" Brittany's voice came floating through the door.

"Brits! Get in here now! All of you get in here now!" Rachel demanded.

"What's going on? We heard Puck yell," Quinn asked, looking from her husband lying in the tub and holding his groin, to Rachel, who was bouncing up and down happily next to the tub. Silently, Brittany and Kurt did the same next to her.

"Noah had a crush on Brittany when we were younger and he made up the whole Sam Evans thing to get back at me for embarrassing him in front of Brits! Isn't that great?" Rachel announced to the group, still bouncing up and down.

_"Wait what?"_

_"What do you mean he made Sam Evans up?"_

_"You had a crush on me?"_

The words came out of their mouths at the same time, resulting in three very confused people looking at one very happy Rachel Berry.

"It's true. Sam Evans is fake," Rachel responded.

"Uh, I'm right here." All heads turned to look at Sam, who'd followed the group into the bathroom. "Can someone _please_ explain to me what's going on and why people keep telling me I'm not me?"

Quickly, Rachel filled Sam in on _everything, _right down to hearing his name at the airport and following him here.

"So you stalked me?" Sam asked.

"We didn't stalk _you_. We were chasing the _idea_ of you, of my soul mate. That's why I didn't have the moment with you; I didn't even remember you when I saw you before. _You__'__re_ not my soul mate and you never were."

"Wait. Then why did you do it?" Brittany demanded.

"Do what?"

"Why were you kissing Sam?" Kurt blurted out.

"How did you know about that?" Rachel asked curiously, laughing at the memory, as did Sam.

Noah most definitely did not find it amusing since he calmly walked over to Sam and punched him in the face.

"What the hell?" Sam cried, holding a hand to his face. "Why did you sucker punch me?"

"Noah!" Rachel cried, scandalized at her cousin's poor behavior. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me, Rachel. I'm just taking care of business and doing what my man Finn would do if he was here," Noah replied tersely, trying to shake off the grip Quinn and Brittany had on his arms. "He can't go around kissing girls who are taken with that huge mouth of his."

"I kissed _him_, Noah," Rachel answered crossly.

"Why? Why would you do that? You were so happy with Finn. Why? Why would you kiss him?" Brittany accused.

Rachel rolled her eyes, holding up the vitamin bottle still in her hand. "You see this? It's full of sand from where Finn and I made love."

"Which by the way was during the full moon," Kurt cut in, anxious to let Rachel know that, just in case she wasn't sure about Finn being her soul mate.

Rachel's smile grew even wider. "Really?"

"Yes, but go on."

"Right. I was filling this bottle full of sand, when Sam came and asked me what I was doing. I was explaining it to him when Aunt Sue appeared by the pool and spotted me talking to Sam. I attacked Sam, making sure she was watching me make out with him so that she'd think the ass she was looking for was Sam's and would therefore leave Finn alone. Wasn't that a great plan?" she asked proudly, confused when everyone but Sam started shifting uncomfortably.

"So you kissed Sam to throw Aunt Sue off the track and protect Finn," Quinn asked slowly.

"Sue thinks that Sam is the mystery ass?" Puck added. He held out a hand to Sam who shook it. "Sorry, man."

"It's ok. I would have done the same thing if it was my cousin."

"I can't wait to tell Finn he's in the clear," Rachel added happily, moving towards the door and not noticing the weird stares her cousin and friends were exchanging. "I'm going to go find him."

"Rachel! Wait!"

"No Brits, I can't wait any longer. I need to go find him." Brittany placed an arm on Rachel's shoulder, forcing her to stop. Slowly, she took a deep breath, not wanting to be the one who had to tell Rachel but knowing it had to be done.

"Rachel. He's gone."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: What's this? A chapter of only 7, 674 words? I must be sick LOL.**_

_**Dark Shadows is a real show, and there really is a character named Sam Evans on it, which I found funny, especially since he's supposed to be an artist.**_

_**Throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain is a real legend, but just like Enrico, I'm not telling what the third one is for :)**_


	20. Finding Finn

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>"I looked in all the places you aren't. I just can't find the places you are. I only know that you are where I am not."<strong>_

_**- Winnie the Pooh**_

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, he's gone?" Rachel asked, one hand still on the doorknob as she slowly turned around.<p>

"He left when he heard from Sue that she'd found the owner of the ass because she'd seen him making out with you," Brittany replied, shifting from foot to foot.

"What did she say to him?" Rachel asked; her voice deadly calm.

"I…I don't think matters, Rachel." Brittany backed up a little, grabbing Kurt's arm.

"What. Did. Sue. Say. To. Him." Rachel repeated through gritted teeth, taking a step towards Brittany.

"That you were mauling him and that you were locked in a passionate embrace," Brittany said quickly, hiding behind Kurt.

"And where did Finn go?" This question, delivered in that same deadly calm voice, was directed at Kurt.

"We're not sure. Where are you going?" Kurt demanded, watching as Rachel stomped out of the bathroom.

"You're wrong. Finn didn't leave. He wouldn't do that, he _promised_." She marched out of Kurt's room and across the hall, knocking on Finn's door. "Finny? It's me."

"Rachel, I tol-"

Not getting an answer, she pressed her ear to the door, still knocking. "Finn, baby, open the door."

"Rachel-"

She frowned as the door remained firmly shut, ignoring Brittany's attempts to talk to her. "Noah, open this door. I know you know how to pick a lock."

"I'm not going to pick a lock, Rachel. Especially since I know he's not in there."

Rachel grabbed her cousin by his shirt, her little hands fisting the material against his chest. "Pick this lock or I swear I will tell _everyone_ about that Halloween party our freshman year of high school."

Puck sighed. "Fine, but you're not going to like what's inside."

He got to work quickly, easily popping the lock and dreading Rachel's reaction when she saw he spoke the truth.

Eagerly, Rachel knocked him over in her haste to get inside. She burst into the room, pausing near his bed as she turned in a circle, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of Finn. Noah, Quinn, Brittany, Kurt and Sam slowly filed into the room, watching as her face fell.

"He's gone, Rachel," Brittany finally said quietly.

"No." She ran to his suitcase, pulling out a t-shirt and holding it up accusingly. "His clothes are still here. He didn't leave."

"He took my suitcase by mistake," Kurt explained gently.

Rachel's face paled as she clutched the t-shirt to her chest, as if the realization of Finn leaving her was finally sinking in. She stared at the group, her eyes wide. Her voice was no higher than a whisper. "He really left?"

"We saw him get into a cab."

Rachel stared at Kurt as he spoke the words, silently taking them in. "He _promised_. He promised me he wasn't going anywhere."

"He was upset, Rachel. Sue had just told him all about how she'd seen you making out with Sam," Kurt replied, feeling the need to defend his brother even if he thought Finn was wrong for leaving.

"What did he say when he left?" She looked up at Kurt, still clutching Finn's shirt to her chest.

"That he couldn't stand watching you kiss Sam because every part of Finn was made to kiss you," Brittany answered for him. "He said you were wrong about being born to kiss him, that it's the other way around."

"He said that?" Rachel's mouth dropped open, hardly believing that Finn remembered her comment in the elevator from the day they met. She didn't know why she was so shocked. Finn had been continually surprising her every time he brought up some random little detail she'd mentioned in passing. It was just part of what made Finn so great.

Slowly and with great deliberation, she stood up, holding the t-shirt in her left hand. Just as slowly, she made her way over to Noah, who held his arms out, expecting Rachel to walk into them. Instead, she started beating him with the t-shirt and her fists, pounding as hard as she could on his chest.

"You did this!" she screeched, now kicking him as well. "This is all _your_ fault!"

Sam swooped in and pulled Rachel away from her cousin, easily holding her by the waist, while Rachel continued to punch and kick the air.

"Let me go, Sam! I need to kill Noah!" She struggled against the tight hold Sam had on her, furiously trying to reach out and hit Noah. "_Let me go!"_

"Not until you calm down, Rachel," Quinn directed. "Killing Puck isn't going to help you find Finn, even if he deserves it."

Just as quickly as Rachel had commenced her attack, she ended it. Deflating in Sam's arms, she slid out of his grasp and crumpled to the floor. The other occupants of the room stared at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Rachel," Brittany began, bending down next to Rachel, who'd begun to sob into Finn's shirt.

"He's gone, Brits. What am I going to do?" She held the shirt against her face, the only physical reminder that he'd existed and been with her. The shirt was soft and still had that _Finn_ smell so craved so much.

"Rachel, he's _Sam._ He's never really gone because he's Sam. If you found a _fake_ Sam," she pointed at the real Sam Evans, who didn't bother to point yet again out that his name really _was_ Sam, "then you can certainly find the real Sam again."

Rachel looked up, hope written across his face. "You think so?"

"I know so," Brittany said firmly. "Finn's _Sam._" She pointed to Sam again. "_That_ Sam's not Sam because Finn's Sam, so he can't be far."

Sam seemed confused by Brittany's statement, but it seemed to cheer Rachel up slightly, because she started nodding. "You're right. We need to find Finn. I'll just call his cell phone and explain everything, then he'll come back."

She stood up, ready to call Finn and explain this misunderstanding, happily hugging herself in anticipation of him coming back. Her little bubble of happiness burst immediately upon Kurt's next words.

"He left his phone here, Rachel."

The smile died from her face. "He doesn't have his phone?"

"Nope. He left in such a rush that he forgot it."

Undaunted, Rachel pursed her lips together. "Then we'll simply go out and find him. We'll hire a cab to drive us all over, looking for him."

"Are you insane? What do you think, he's just going to be on the side of the road and we'll drive past? This isn't a movie, Rachel," Kurt stated, instinctively shielding himself after he saw the glare Rachel gave him.

"I suppose you have a better plan? Let me guess. You put tracking devices on all your clothes?" Rachel asked sarcastically.

"Don't be stupid, Rachel. That would destroy the fabric," Kurt snapped. "But I can tell you from experience that Finn's _not_ going to be found until he _wants_ to be found."

"Fine. If you won't help me, then I'll find him on my own," Rachel replied stubbornly.

Kurt sighed, placing his hands on his temples. "How about this? We split up in twos and search nearby areas where Finn might go. Brits and I can go check out the bars, someone else can go to town, and someone else can go to the bus and train station."

"I'll go with Quinn," Sam volunteered, figuring this could be a good chance to be with Quinn.

"My _wife_ will go with me. You can go with Rachel," Puck announced, placing an arm around Quinn.

"Wait, I-" Sam stammered, not particularly wanting to stay among the crazies now that he knew Quinn was married.

"Come Sam. Once I find Finn, you can back me up when I tell him how horrible it was kissing you," Rachel announced, pulling Sam towards the door before he could respond. Sam followed meekly behind, wondering if he'd just been insulted or not.

Kurt walked slowly out of the room, wondering how Finn had managed to screw up his destiny.

* * *

><p>"Alright, so everyone knows what to do? Quinn and Puck will go to town, Brits and I will check out the bars and Rachel and Sam will check the train station and bus depot. Look for any fountains or artwork you can find, because that's the most likely place he'll be," Kurt announced to the little group as they finalized their strategy in the lobby.<p>

"You might want to add the police station to your little checklist, Porcelain," Sue's scathing voice cut in.

"And why is that, Sue?" Puck asked, rolling his eyes.

"After my eyes were accosted _again_ with public indecency when Finn mooned me, I contacted my connections down at the police station. As we speak, there's an APB – that's an all points bulletin for you lay people - out for Finn's arrest. Did you really think you could fool me by making out with the Joker here, Rachel?"

"You can't be serious, Aunt Sue. Don't you think the police have more important things to worry about?" Quinn stated; her hand firmly clasping Rachel's arm, Brittany doing the same on Rachel's other side. For her part, Rachel was taking deep breaths, trying to control herself before she did some serious damage to Sue.

"Nonsense. We can't have Gigantor running around showing that tight firm ass to everyone. Poor Enzo here has to go into intensive therapy as a result of seeing it." She pointed to the man at the desk that she'd been talking to when Finn had mooned her. "Our eyes were almost blinded from the whiteness, it was like looking at a solar eclipse."

That was the breaking point for Rachel. She shook off both Quinn and Brittany, taking a step towards Sue. "How _dare_ you insinuate that there's something wrong with his body when you have a hairstyle straight out of the 1970's?"

"I'll have you know that because of that ass in my face I'm scarred-"

"Shove it Sue. I couldn't care less. Right now the only thing I'm concerned about is the fact that because of _you_ and your stupid branding iron, the man I love has gone missing," Rachel said coldly.

Kurt, Quinn and Brittany exchanged looks of delight at Rachel's words, although Rachel herself hadn't seemed to notice what she'd said. She was simply staring at Sue with a look of pure hatred on her face.

"That right? Well I'm sure my APB will help you then. Every police officer has been made aware that he's on the move and they're just waiting to take him in for a branding. Hope you have the money for a good lawyer, Rachel. I hear the Italian court system is a bitch."

For the second time that night, Sam found himself holding Rachel back, grabbing her before she could scratch out Sue's eyes.

Sue laughed manically as she started to walk away. "How cute Rachel. The Ken doll is acting as your bodyguard. Shall I take this to mean that you like to surround yourself with fine asses?"

Rachel glared at her, the only thing she was able to do with Sam holding her back. Once Sue was safely out of range, he released her, ready to grab her again if she tried to go after Sue. Rachel simply adjusted her shirt, glaring at her cousin. "Congratulations Noah. Sue has replaced you at the top of my list of people I'd like to kill."

"Is she serious about having an APB out for him because he mooned her?" Sam asked, his voice sounding incredulous.

"Unfortunately yes," Antonia interrupted, joining the group. "I see her call before. But the police, they laugh at her because she call so much. They not worry about a man's rear end."

"Oh thank God." Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. Images of Finn sitting alone in an Italian jail cell waiting to be branded had been flooding her brain, making her panic even more than she already was. "What are we waiting for? We have a Finn to find."

Without another word, she grabbed Sam and headed out into the night, ready to find Finn, the man she loved.

Even if she didn't realize it yet.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, have you seen a really tall man, brown hair, may possibly have spilt a beer or done something equally clumsy?"<p>

The bartender simply stared at Kurt and Brittany in confusion. "_Che?"_

"That's what I thought," Kurt muttered. This was the fourth bar they'd gone to and each time had been the same. Every time, the bartender had no idea who they were talking about, so they'd been forced to go from table to table, room to room looking for Finn, which had gotten them kicked out of bars 1 and 3 but fortunately not before they'd checked the bathrooms. "Alright Brits, start checking the tables, but don't stop and tell them Finn and Rachel's story each time. That's what got us kicked out of the last bar."

"I'm gonna check the women's room first, then I'll start asking tables if they've seen him," Brittany announced.

Kurt sighed; not bothering to point out yet _again_ that there was no way Finn would be in the women's bathroom. "Sounds good, Brits, just don't try and crawl under the stalls this time. That's why we got chased out of the first bar."

Brittany crossed her arms defensively. "They weren't answering my knocks. I thought maybe Finn was sitting or standing on the toilet."

Once again, Kurt didn't bother point out that if Finn was standing on a toilet, his head would have been well above the stall and if he was sitting on the toilet, well Kurt knew from experience that if was best to _stay away._ "Why don't we meet by the door? Text me if you find him."

Brittany nodded before heading off to the bathrooms.

Kurt followed the same routine he'd employed at all the other bars, starting with the table closest to the door and working his way around the room. He showed each table a picture of Finn and him that they'd taken together in Milan. Each time, he got the same negative answer.

No one had seen him.

Dejectedly, he made his way to the last table, fully expecting the same response from the two girls sitting there.

"Excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for my brother. Have you seen him?" he rattled off, holding out his phone with the picture of Finn.

"Oh, he's cute," the first girl said, peering at the phone. "I wouldn't mind seeing _him_."

"Didn't we see him before?" her friend replied. Hope soared through Kurt's chest at her words.

"Where? Where did you see him?" he demanded.

"He was over by the bathroom, making out with some platinum blonde woman," the girl replied, glancing over towards the bathrooms. "I think he's still over there by that plant."

Kurt took off in that direction, wondering why Brittany hadn't texted him about finding Finn, especially if he was kissing some blonde.

Sure enough, a platinum blonde was currently being pinned up against the wall by a tall man with brown hair, whose head was buried in her neck. Kurt hurried closer, horrified that Finn would be kissing someone other than Rachel.

"Stop! What are you doing?" he cried as he rushed closer, pulling Finn off the girl. "How could you do this to Rachel?"

Startled, the two paused their kissing to stare at their intruder. Kurt exhaled loudly when he realized that while the man had the same hair color and build as Finn, it most definitely was _not_ Finn.

"You got a problem, kid?" the guy asked, staring at Kurt.

"No…no problem," Kurt stammered. "I..."

"Who's Rachel?" the blonde demanded, sliding down the guy's body.

"I have no idea," the guy assured her, trying to resume his kissing.

The girl was having none of it. "Is she another one of your whores? You _promised_! You promised you were going to commit to me!"

"Baby, I don't know what he's talking about!" the guy cried exasperated as the girl ran off. He started to run after her, but stopped to glare at Kurt. "When I get back, I'm going to kick your ass so hard, you'll be wearing it for a hat."

Kurt gulped as the man hurried off after his girlfriend. His ass for a hat was one fashion trend he was _not_ interested in.

Fortunately, Brittany appeared at that moment. "I couldn't find him. He wasn't in the women's room and I checked the men's room too."

"Never mind that. We have to get out of here, _now_." He grabbed Brittany's hand, quickly making his way out the front door, only to find the couple he'd inadvertently broken up screaming at each other in the street. He steered Brittany in the opposite direction, just as the man spotted them.

"Hey! I'm not done with you!"

"Run fast, Brits!" Kurt hissed, taking off down the street as fast as he could go. Brittany followed behind running just as fast. Kurt didn't stop until he was sure they'd lost the guy, finally slowing to a stop outside the second bar they'd stopped at. "I think we lost him."

"What _was_ that?" Brittany asked, panting. Beside her, Kurt was doing the same, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"These two girls told me they'd seen Finn by the bathrooms, kissing a girl. _That_ was definitely not him, but I didn't realize it until I'd accused him of cheating on Rachel."

"Finn wouldn't kiss another girl!" Brittany cried. "Rachel would be devastated if he did. You heard her. She loves him."

Kurt nodded. "I did hear her say that. I don't think she realized she said that, but you know it's true. Those two are head over heels for each other."

"They really are. Do you think Finn feels the same way?"

"I've never and I mean _never_ seen Finn act the way he does around her and I've never seen him treat anyone like he does her. He's crazy about her. I think there's a wedding in our future, Brits."

"I'm flattered, Kurt, but I don't think Artie would like it if you joined our marriage."

"I meant Finn and Rachel's wedding. I don't think it'll be long before they're married. I just can't believe he ran away."

Brittany nodded happily. "I know she's furious at Puck for the whole fortune teller thing, but I think she knows deep down that she's here _because_ of him. His getting mad at Rachel was the first step to her finding Finn. Once we find him, we can start planning the wedding. It'll be so much better than the one Jesse planned. I wonder if she'll wear the same Vera dress?"

"Rachel had a Vera Wang dress for her wedding to Jesse?" Kurt asked, impressed and momentarily distracted from the task at hand.

"Jesse insisted."

"Oh, well when she marries my brother, _I_ insist she find something better than that," Kurt announced, noticing that the man they'd been evading had just turned the corner and spotted them. Kurt paled, grabbing Brittany. "Oh no. Run, Brittany, run!"

He took off again, Brittany right behind him, running for his life in the direction of the hotel.

He could only hope Finn was running in the same direction.

* * *

><p>"So what's the deal with you and Sam?" Puck demanded as he followed Quinn towards the piazza. They'd been wandering around the town, checking out all the alleys and piazzas, along with any fountains or artwork they could find. Finn was nowhere to be found.<p>

"Huh?"

"What's the deal with you and Sam? Have you not been wearing your ring or something?"

Quinn stoppped to stare at her husband increduously, holding her left hand up to reveal her wedding and engagement rings. "Are you insane? There's nothing going on between me and Sam."

"Then why has he been checking you out and ogling you?" Puck demanded. "I don't like these Italian dudes ogling my woman."

Quinn raised an eyebrow. ""Sam is _American_. Are American men allowed to ogle me?"

"Only one." He pounced, pulling her into his arms as he kissed her neck. She squealed, relishing the feeling of him and forgetting about the job at hand for a second.

"No, Puck!" She stepped away from his embrace to stare hard at him. "We have to find Finn. And what's with all the Sam questions?"

"I just don't like the way he was looking at you."

"And here I thought you punched him because he made Finn leave and kissed Rachel."

"I only did what Finn would have done if he was there, but part of that punch may have been for checking you out," he admitted, running a hand over his head. "I can't believe how badly Rachel screwed this up."

Quinn stared at him. "_Excuse me?_ Who was the one who made up the whole cookie thing?"

"Hey, the way I look at it, Rachel totally _owes_ me for the rest of her life. My fortune made her find Finn. It never said to go kissing guys with big mouths."

Quinn frowned. "You've got me there, but this is still somehow your fault, so I'm slightly mad at you."

"Aunt Sue is _your _relative," he pointed out smugly. "Rachel's the only crazy one on my side and Sue makes her look like a kitten."

"Don't remind me that I'm related to that woman. She did do one good thing though. Did you hear Rachel tell Sue that she loves Finn?"

"Yeah, but knowing Rachel, she probably won't admit that she does. It's so obvious though. When Nana told me to come here, she said that Jesse was getting in the way of Rachel and the man she loves."

"She won't let go of his t-shirt. That should tell her something," Quinn pointed out, smiling at the memory of Rachel dragging Sam out of the hotel with one hand, while the other clung to Finn's shirt. "Since Rachel's so stubborn, that's all the more reason why we need to find Finn."

"He's not here. I think Kurt was right. He won't be found until he wants to be found."

Quinn frowned again as answered her ringing cell phone. She listened intently for a few moments, a look of confusion passing over her face before she hung up. "Kurt and Brits didn't find him either, but they did find a fake Finn who wants to beat them up for some reason. They're going to meet us back at the hotel to figure out what to do next. Let's go."

Puck laced his finger with his wife's as they strolled along, wondering when the next time Rachel was going to get to do that with Finn was.

He hoped it was soon or else he was in for the ass kicking of a lifetime from both Rachel _and _Quinn. Rachel was scary enough normally, but when she was pissed it was best to stay out of her way, something he'd learned the hard way growing up. And as for Quinn, well if Finn didn't surface from his hiding spot soon, he'd better start looking into renting Lord Tubbington's vacation cat chalet because Quinn sure as hell wasn't going to let him near their bedroom.

Scratch that. He hoped it was _really _soon.

* * *

><p>"So anyway, like I was saying, we're both very into the arts. Finn's more into classic art and artists, while my preferred area is theater arts. It's very complementary, I always think. Finn says that..."<p>

Sam shoved his hands further into his pockets. All he'd wanted to do was return a wallet and now here he was listening to Rachel's list of why she and Finn are so perfect together. Apparently, she had compiled a mental list of seventy-four reasons and both of them being into the arts was only number_ four_.

Thank God Puck had made up this whole him being Rachel's soul mate thing. The girl seemed a little..._intense._

"...so it really just shows that Finn and I are simply meant to be," Rachel was saying as the train station came into view. "Don't you agree?"

"Uh totally, you two seemed really happy," he responded, secretly thinking that if Finn was willing to take on this intensity, more power to him.

Rachel beamed at his answer and immediately gasped as she stared at the station. "Is that him?"

Without waiting for an answer, Rachel ran across the parking lot, towards a tall man standing outside the station. She slowed down, disappointment filling her when she realized that it wasn't Finn. She slowly turned in a circle, scoping out the near empty station.

"Rachel, wait. You can't run off after every tall man," Sam pointed out, catching up to her. Her bottom lip was trembling as she clutched Finn's shirt to her chest. "I'm sure you'll know when it's Finn."

She held up her up determinedly. "You're right. Finn and I share a bond and we can sense when the other's in the room, a fact that annoyed me to no end when we first met and I found out he wasn't Sam. I hated him and yet I always knew when he walked into a room. Well I _thought_ I hated him, but I really didn't. What I thought was hate was simply-"

"Why don't we check inside?" Sam asked, desperate to get her off the topic. Her incessant rambling seemed to be her way of coping with Finn's disappearance, but it was driving him crazy.

Rachel seemed to agree with this suggestion, because she bounced into the station, fully expecting to find Finn. Her face crumpled as she saw the empty waiting room.

Sam, anticipating the floodworks, attempted to distract her again. "Look! There's a ticket taker over there. Why don't we ask him if he's seen Finn?"

Not waiting for her answer, he gently led her over to the counter, asking the man behind the counter if he'd seen anyone resembling Finn.

The man didn't appear to understand since he simply stared at them and said, "No trains. Only train from Roma coming."

"Right. Thanks anyway." Sam took control again, leading Rachel away as she clutched his shirt again.

"I'm never going to find him," she said sadly, her eyes brimming over with tears.

Sam ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of what to say or do next. "Is it possible that he went to another city? Weren't you guys in Rome?"

Rachel's eyes lit up as the thought hit her. Gasping, she rummaged through her bag, looking for the camera she'd never bothered to take out after her hike with Finn. She ran back to the counter, holding the camera excitedly and showing him the picture of her and Finn that Carl had taken. "Him. Have you seen him?"

The man peered at the camera. "Ah, _si._ He go Roma."

Rachel gasped, thrilled that she had a lead on Finn finally. "Sam! He's in Rome! We have to go!"

Sam took a step towards Rachel, seeing a problem that Rachel didn't. "Uh Rachel..."

"I'd like a ticket to Rome please," Rachel announced, ignoring Sam in her excitement.

"No. No train," the ticket agent stated in a bored voice.

"What? What do you mean, no train? I want to go to Rome, give me a ticket!"

"Is no train a Roma_. _Only from Roma," the agent explained.

Confused, Rachel turned to Sam, who hastily explained. "Rachel, that's what I was trying to tell you the trains stop at night. There's no more trains to Rome until tomorrow. The only coming in from Rome is the last train of the night."

"Then we'll drive there. Where's the nearest car rental?" she asked, looking around the station.

"Drive? To Rome?" the agent interrupted. "Train faster."

"Well that doesn't do me any good if the train won't run," Rachel snapped.

"Rachel, you can't rent a car now. It's too late. Besides it would be like a 3 hour drive if you knew how to get there," Sam pointed out. "Why don't we go back to the hotel?"

"No. I'm not leaving here unless it's to go to Rome," Rachel insisted stubbornly. "What about a cab?"

"I have one cab." The agent pointed to a heavyset man reading a paper nearby. "But-"

Rachel ran over to him, not bothering to hear the rest. "I need to go to Rome."

The cab driver looked up in surprise. "Amalfi, Priano, Positano, _si_. Roma no."

"But I need to go to Rome."

The driver shrugged. "Is not my problem."

Rachel looked back at the agent and Sam, amazed that the cabbie was passing up the opportunity to earn a large fare.

"He doesn't go to Rome because he need to be here for train," the agent explained.

Rachel looked like she was about to pitch a fit, but Sam interceded. "Let's go back to the hotel. Maybe the others can figure out what to do."

Rachel's mouth dropped open. "I don't believe this. I finally figure out where he is and I still can't get to him because of a stupid train schedule."

"Come on, Rachel. Let's go. There's nothing more you can do here."

"No. I cannot believe the way this establishment is run. I-"

Rachel didn't get to finish her protest since Sam simply picked her up and threw her over one shoulder, carrying her out of the station. Undaunted, she continued to yell at the agent and cab driver from there.

It was only when she started walking sadly towards the hotel that she stopped her yelling and let the tears start to fall. She glanced up at the moon, wondering if Finn was doing the same thing.

Somehow, she knew he was.

* * *

><p>Rachel followed Sam forlornly back into the hotel, hoping against hope that either Quinn or Brittany had managed to somehow get in contact with Finn. The lobby was empty save for Marco, who waved Rachel over.<p>

"Rachel. Kurt and Quinn wanted me to let you know that they couldn't find him and that they're in Quinn's room right now."

"Thanks Marco." She smiled sadly at him and turned back to Sam, trying not to let the tears threatening to leave her eyes actually fall. "They don't know he's in Rome. What if he's hurt? He doesn't speak Italian, how's he going to tell someone to get him to a hospital?"

"I'm sure he's fine, Rachel," Sam offered, not quite sure how to comfort her.

"But what if he's not? What am I going to do? I just found him, I can't lose him now," she replied, her bottom lip trembling.

Sam stared at her, wishing that Quinn, Puck or Brittany was here with Rachel instead of him because he sure as hell had no idea of what to do to comfort her.

Rachel solved the problem of what to do for him, throwing herself into his arms and sobbing against his chest. Awkwardly, his hand came up around her, one hand stroking her hair while the other rested on her back. Sam stayed silent for a few minutes, letting Rachel cry it out while he continued to stroke her hair.

"He'll come back, I'm sure he will," Sam finally offered. "He's probably on his way back right now."

"You think so?" Rachel asked, using his shirt to wipe her eyes.

"Of course. Didn't you just spend the entire walk to and from the train and bus stations giving me the list of reasons why you and he are so perfect together? If I had someone who loved me as much as you love him, I'd come back."

Rachel didn't answer processing his words. Sam was right. Finn knew he belonged with her and he knew how she felt about him, so he had to come back, he just had to. He'd stayed single for a long time, looking for what he'd found in Italy and he wouldn't throw that away. She refused to let him.

"Thank you." Rachel gave him a small smile as she looked up at him. She reached up and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Wait for me? I'm just going to go to the bathroom, then we can meet up with Quinn and everyone."

"Sure." He watched her go, wondering where the hell Finn was.

* * *

><p>Finn stared out at the dark Italian countryside whizzing past. He'd been lucky to catch the last train to Naples for the night, making it with only a few minutes to spare. Now as he sat in the back of the cab heading back to Rachel, his mind raced with thoughts of everything that had happened.<p>

He meant what he'd told Enrico. He was positive that even if he'd never come to Italy and stepped out of that elevator, he still would have found his way to Rachel and he knew that _something_ would have happened to prevent Rachel from marrying Jesse. She was already having doubts about marrying him even before she'd come to Italy, so it would have only been a matter of time. She couldn't marry Jesse because she was meant to be with him. He knew it and up until today, he thought she knew it.

"25 Euro," the driver announced, pulling up to the hotel. Finn got out slowly, taking a moment to stretch before he paid the cabbie. He could see the warmly lit lobby in the big picture window next to the door and he smiled once he realized Rachel was in the lobby, her arms wrapped around Sam, who was stroking her hair gently. Her head was facing away from him, but he'd know Rachel's body anywhere. Finn's mouth dropped open as she reached up and kissed his cheek before stepping away from him and out of view in the window.

What the hell?

Finn began seeing red. Sam Evan be damned, stroking Rachel's hair and hugging her was _his_ job. Forgetting about the cabbie and his fare, he stormed into the hotel, making a beeline for Sam, while Rachel was nowhere to be seen.

"Finn, thank God you're back!" Sam said, the relief evident in his voice as he noticed Finn heading his way immediately.

"Save it." He stopped in front of Sam, swinging his right arm and making it connect with Sam's eye as hard as he could. Sam dropped to the floor, one hand holding his face. Finn grabbed Sam by the shirt, his voice loaded with warning. "You better make her the happiest woman on Earth or I swear I will do much worse next time."

Releasing Sam and ignoring his cries telling him to wait, he stormed back out of the hotel. Luckily for him, his cab was still waiting to be paid, so he simply climbed back in.

"Take me back to Rome."

"I not go to Rome."

"You do now. Drive."

"Is very far. Very expensive."

"I don't care. Just get me the hell out of here and back to Rome," he growled, throwing his head back against the seat.

"Where you want to go in Roma?"

"The airport."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Oh, Finn...why must you always jump to the wrong conclusion?_**


	21. Coming Home

_**Disclaimer: Glee's not mine**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>You could have been Bethany Matthews, Delia Hopkins, Cleopatra- it wouldn't matter. And if you'd grown up with a thousand lemon trees in the middle of the desert, with a cactus instead of a Christmas tree and a pet armadillo... well, then, I would have gone to law school at Arizona State, I guess. I would have defended illegal aliens crossing the border. But we still would have wound up together. No matter what kind of life I had, you'd be at the end of it.<strong>_

_-__**Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Acts**_

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I'd like to welcome you to Dayton International Airport, where the local time is 10:21PM. On behalf of the crew, I'd like to thank you for flying Alitalia. Flight Attendants please prepare for landing."<p>

Finn picked his head up from where it had been leaning against the plane's window, more than ready to land and get the hell off the plane. He'd gotten to the airport in Rome last night just in time to catch the last plane to Dayton…sort of.

When he and Kurt had flown to Italy, they'd flown from Dayton to Boston and then immediately from Boston to Milan. It had been super easy, but then again that was back when his _life_ was super easy.

Now that his life was complicated, his journey back home had to be complicated too. Rather than fly to Boston, he'd had to fly to _Paris_, where his connecting flight took off…the next morning. He'd spent a _very _uncomfortable night in the terminal stretched across the seats in the waiting area, trying to get some sleep. Sleep eventually came, but he was rudely awakened when he rolled right off the chairs and onto the floor, forgetting that he wasn't on a bed, to the delight of a passing Alitalia crew. He'd _finally_ left France and arrived back in the United States about 2:30.

In Atlanta.

It baffled him why the route from Italy to Ohio included stops in France and out of the way Georgia, but he had plenty of time to ponder it since his flight from Atlanta to Dayton didn't take off until 8:45 that night. He'd come to the conclusion that having to spend thirty-one hours to get back to Ohio was just another way for life to kick him in the nads.

He heaved a sigh of relief as the plane taxied down the runway to the gate, more than ready to forget his Italian experience.

As if he possibly could.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ok, Sam, let's go back to Quinn's room," Rachel announced, walking back across the lobby towards Sam, who appeared to be holding his face. "Sam? What's wrong?"<em>

"_Can you please explain to me why people keep punching me in the face because of you?" he asked, still holding his swelling face._

"_Did Noah punch you __**again**__? Really, this is getting to be-"_

"_No, not him. Your boyfriend."_

"_Finn?" Rachel asked sharply, her eyes boring into Sam. "He was here?"_

"_You got any other boyfriends running around?" he retorted, not in the best of moods after being punched twice for something he didn't do._

"_Where is he? What did he say?" she demanded, her eyes now scanning the lobby for any sign of Finn._

"_He came flying in here, punched me in the face and then grabbed me by the shirt. He said that I better make you the happiest woman alive or he'd do much worse to me next time."_

"_He said that?" A smile formed on Rachel's face at the words._

"_Yeah, right before he flew out of here."_

_The smile that had formed so quickly immediately vanished at his words. "He...he left?"_

"_Yeah, I tried to stop him but he ignored me, jumping back in the cab and screaming to go to Rome."_

_Rachel's bottom lip began quivering as Sam's words sunk in. Without another word, she turned and marched toward Quinn's room._

"Rachel? How about a cup of coffee?"

Snapped out of her memories, Rachel accepted the cup of coffee being held out to her, not paying any attention to whose arm was actually holding it out. "What if he doesn't come back?"

"He will."

"He's going to hate me." She gripped her mug harder at the thought. "He thinks I kissed Sam because I like him, but I did it for Finn, to protect him."

"It's all a misunderstanding. He won't hate you."

"He might."

"Rachel, look at me."

Rachel turned her head as the bed shifted, looking but not really looking. Her mind was stuck on memories of Italy while her eyes darted around the room, taking in the few items Finn had left behind.

"I know Finn. Yes, he ran, but sooner or later, he'll realize what he was running from. And when he does realize, you'll be here waiting."

"But I don't want to wait! I'm done waiting!" Rachel exploded, splashing some of her coffee as she waved her arms. "I've been waiting for Sam Evans for _years _and now that I found Finn instead, I know he needs to be here with me, not God knows where."

"He'll find his way back to you. Don't worry. It's just like your nana said, it's Serendipity."

Rachel only smiled tightly, gripping her coffee with both hands. "If it was really Serendipity, then _where is he_?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure he's on his way to you. Why don't you get some rest?" The cup of coffee was plucked from Rachel's hands as she snuggled into Finn's bed. She waited until the light was switched off before she grabbed his other pillow, molding it to her body and pretending it was Finn. It definitely couldn't compare to the original, but it was better than nothing.

She could only hope that this latest idea of Brittany's was right. If it was, she'd soon have the real thing lying beside her instead of a pillow that smelled like him.

She couldn't wait.

* * *

><p>Finn trudged slowly up the stairs to his apartment. One of the only advantages to leaving Italy in such a rush was that he had no luggage, which meant he could walk right off the plane, grab a cab and be home while the rest of the people on his flight were probably still waiting to claim their luggage at baggage.<p>

Slowly he opened the door; half expecting Vincent to greet him at the door with his rawhide, even though he knew that was an impossibility since Vincent was having his own vacation over at his mother's. The silence of the cold, empty apartment greeted him instead, only serving to reinforce the fact that he was once again alone.

He really should have had the cab bring him to his mother's so he could pick up Vincent. At least that way, he could come back here and have some company, but the thought of having to explain to his mother why he was back early and without Kurt was less than appealing.

His stomach growling, he made his way into his kitchen, frowning when the bare shelves of his refrigerator revealed themselves to him. He leaned on the door, thinking. If he _did _go to his mom's now, she'd most likely be asleep since it was close to midnight. He could easily slip in, grab some food and Vincent and be back here with his mom being none the wiser.

The only flaw in his plan was Vincent himself. He knew that the bulldog was a heavy sleeper and most likely wouldn't come when called. He also knew that Vincent slept in his mom's room which would make trying to rouse Vincent out of his slumber even harder, since his mother was anything _but_ a heavy sleeper.

That settled it then. He slammed the refrigerator door shut, striding purposefully off to his bedroom. Not bothering to change his clothes or even take off his sneakers, he climbed into bed pulling the covers over his head, trying to block the memories of_ her_.

This proved to be impossible, since that annoying idea that Rachel belonged here in this bed with him wouldn't leave. He could just picture her lying next to him, her head on the pillow while she held the covers tightly around her like a cocoon, hating for any part of her to be cold and depriving him of blankets. The first time he'd seen her do it, he'd had to fight her for the blankets, which resulted in neither of them getting the blankets since the battle for blanket dominance soon turned into yet another round of amazing, intense sex.

That was yet another way Sam Evans had screwed him, now that he thought about it. After the incredible sex he'd had with Rachel, sex would forever be ruined for him, since there was no way any other woman could come close to sharing with him what he'd had with Rachel.

What they'd had was so much more than just sex, which is what it had been with Santana. She'd always been about the physical, choosing to avoid feelings and emotions, so he'd always just focused on getting the job done. But with Rachel, he'd felt it down in his toes and -

No. He needed to stop thinking about that. He needed to stop thinking about how amazing she made him feel, since she was probably making Sam feel like that right now. Not that Sam would appreciate it of course, since there was no way Sam could possibly love Rachel as much as he did. He scrunched his eyes tightly closed at the idea, wondering why it was his destiny to fall in love with a woman destined for another man.

The thought made him burrow his head under his pillows.

He'd pick up Vincent tomorrow.

Maybe.

* * *

><p>Rachel pulled the covers up to her chin, trying to get rid of the chill that had been making its way through her body ever since Finn had left the first time. She'd long ago given up on the idea of sleeping, her mind refusing to shut down and stop playing her memories of Italy in her head. She inhaled deeply, her nose having immediately registered the fact that the blanket smelled like Finn.<p>

"_But why would he leave again? Do you think he came back just to punch Sam?" Brittany asked doubtfully, one arm wrapped around Rachel, who had her head buried in her hands._

"_No. He obviously came back for a reason, but I highly doubt it was to punch Sam," Kurt said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "He didn't say anything else, Sam?"_

"_He said he wanted to go to Rome and then he said something else, but I couldn't make out what it was since he'd shut the door." Sam's response came without even opening his eyes, which were closed at the moment to allow Quinn to hold a makeshift icepack to his face while Puck watched nearby._

"_I have to be on the first train to Rome tomorrow. I have to be." Rachel's face set into a determined line. "I'm sure he's at the hotel there."_

"_Probably. Either that or-"_

"_No. He's there. I know it."_

"_But-"_

"_He's __**there.**__"_

"_But maybe-" Kurt was cut off by a knocking on the door. Hoping it was Finn, he eagerly opened it only to find Giulia on the other side._

"_Ciao, Kurt, you're ready for party, yes?" Giulia strode into the room, holding up a bottle of wine. As usual, she was dressed for a night of clubbing in a super small sequined halter top and mini skirt._

"_Not now, Giulia, we have a crisis here."_

"_Crisis? What it mean, crisis?" Giulia asked, pronouncing it as "creesis."_

"_It's a problem, Giulia," Rachel snapped, not in the mood to give an English lesson right now. "A big problem."_

"_Oh." Giulia looked around the room for Finn, her smile falling a little when she didn't see him. "Where is Finn?"_

"_That's the problem. He saw Rachel kiss Sam and ran off to Rome. We can't go after him since there's no trains until tomorrow," Quinn explained tersely, her eyes immediately noticing her husband taking in Giulia's outfit in appreciation. Sam, she noticed, also seemed to be a fan of Giulia and her clothing._

_"Rachele! Why you kiss un altro uomo?" Giulia admonished. "You have the sex with Finn, yes?" _

_Rachel glared at Giulia. "Yes, Giulia, I had the sex with Finn."_

_"I think Finn is very good with the sex, si?" She cocked her head as she stared at Rachel. "Why you not like the sex with Finn?"_

_Rachel closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she answered. "Yes Giulia, Finn is very good with the sex. And I loved having the sex with him."_

_"Then why you kiss this Sam?_ _Is he better with the sex than Finn?"_

_"I only kissed Sam to protect Finn. I most definitely did not want to kiss him. As for him being better at sex than Finn, I have no idea but judging from the way he kisses, I'd say no, he's definitely not better with the sex than Finn," Rachel snapped, furious that she was having this stupid conversation when she should be thinking of some way to find Finn._

_"Hey! I'm right here!" Sam cried, protesting the snap judgement of his bedroom talents. "And you jumped me! I wasn't prepared to kiss you!"_

_Giulia turned an interested eye on Sam. Her voice took on a gentle purring sound as she stepped closer to him. "You are Sam?"_

_"Sam I am," he responded, enjoying the fact that there was one woman in the room who wasn't mad at him for actually being named Sam._

_"Finn is very good kisser, Sam," Giulia purred, running a finger down his chest as she eyed his mouth. "You have big mouth, excellent for the kissing I think. Later I help you use that mouth to be a good kisser like Finn."_

_"That sounds like a plan," Sam agreed, puffing out his chest so that Giulia could feel his six-pack._

_"You can discuss the different processes you two use to dye your hair afterwards. It could be pillowtalk," Kurt offered, unable to bear the sight of not one but two cases of badly dyed hair in his line of vision._

_"Can we focus here? You two can make plans to fornicate later," Rachel snapped. "You should be helping me find a way to get to Rome now, not tomorrow."_

"_Is no problem. I have car."_

_Rachel stared at Giulia in frustration. "You have a car and you're just mentioning this now?"_

_"Si, I have car. I buy last year when I finish college."_

_"You have a car," Rachel stated, standing up and pulling Brittany towards the door with her. "What are we waiting for?"_

_"Come we go now. Andiamo!" Giulia announced, taking Sam by the hand. Sam, more than willing to go anywhere with Giulia if it meant she'd be giving him private lessons, eagerly followed behind._

"_We're all just going to go to Rome?" Puck asked skeptically, his eyes on Giulia's fine ass. "He could be anywhere."_

"_We're going to go to the hotel, Noah. Now come on. Andiamo!" Rachel called over her shoulder, already out the door. Behind her, Giulia could still be heard._

"_Then we party a Roma, yes?"_

Giulia driving was something that she _never_ wanted to experience again. They'd all squished into her tiny Volkswagen _Lupo_ for the ride up to Rome only to find out that Giulia didn't seem to believe in speed limits. She frequently passed on the left through oncoming traffic, causing Rachel to grip Kurt's arm until her knuckles turned white. They'd all become fluent in Italian cursing, thanks to Giulia's driving and more than once Rachel was afraid they were going to fly off the cliffs. In addition to terrifying, it was also an uncomfortable ride, since Rachel and Quinn were forced to sit on the laps of Brittany and Puck respectively, while Sam sat up front with Giulia and Kurt sat in between Brittany and Puck. Sam, who was along for the ride at Rachel's insistence simply to tell Finn what a horrible kisser he was, spent most of the ride with his eyes closed trying not to puke as Rachel talked his ear off about what exactly she was going to tell Finn and what he should tell Finn. Giulia had driven more than halfway to Rome when Kurt's cell phone rang.

"_Hello?"_

_He listened intently for a few moments, occasionally answering with a yes or no. He ended the call, exhaling deeply. "Giulia? How far is the airport from here?"_

"_Is closer than Roma."_

"_What? The airport? Kurt what's going on?" Rachel demanded._

"_That was the tour group leader. Finn's at the airport trying to change his ticket. Alitalia is giving him problems since he's part of a group ticket and they called the tour group, who just called me."_

"_So he's at the airport?" She waited until Kurt nodded before looking at Giulia. "Giulia, I never thought I'd say this, but can you go any faster?"_

That had turned out to be a big mistake. Giulia got them lost twice and then lost in the airport itself once. They'd _finally_ rushed into the Alitalia terminal only to find a very unhelpful ticket agent behind the counter.

"_Hello? Hello? I need help!" Rachel demanded, slapping her hand on the counter for emphasis. "Do you speak English?"_

_The ticket agent, tired from a long day of dealing with passengers and __**just **__about to go home, sighed. "Can I help you?"_

"_Yes. I need to find someone. He's on an Alitalia flight." Rather than slap the counter, her fingers started tapping the counter rhythmically._

"_What flight?"_

"_I don't know." _

"_Well where are they going?" the ticket agent asked, slightly impatient._

"_I don't know."_

"_If you don't know what flight or where they're going, I can't help you."_

"_You have to help me! You're the only one who can!" Rachel cried dramatically, her theater training kicking in._

"_Then tell me the flight number or destination."_

"_I told you, I don't know it, but I can tell you that he's most likely flying to the United States."_

"_We fly to 46 cities in the United States. Which one is it?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Then I can't help you."_

"_Look, this is important. I can tell you my boyfriend's name and you can tell me what flight he's on and where he's going." To Rachel's mind it sounded perfectly logical, but the ticket agent wore a look of skepticism._

"_If it's your boyfriend, then why don't you know his flight schedule?"_

"_Because we- I don't have to explain myself to you! Just tell me what flight!" Rachel exclaimed._

"_I can't. The rules of aviation prohibit me from giving out passenger lists for flights."_

"_Look, lady. I don't have time to play games. I have two gay fathers and unless you want Alitalia to be known as a not gay friendly airline, I suggest you look in your computer and tell me where my boyfriend is going!" She was on the verge of hysteria now, more than ready to climb over the counter and get the info from the computer herself._

_Quinn, correctly sensing that Rachel was about to lose it, intervened. She quickly explained the situation in Italian to the woman. To no avail. The ticket agent remained unmoved by Rachel's story._

"_Unless there's been a plane crash, I cannot release passenger lists especially if you have no idea where he's going. I'm sorry." The ticket agent stepped away from the counter, leaving the small group behind._

_Quinn placed her arm around Rachel, guiding her over to Brittany and Giulia who'd wandered over to look at the arrivals and departures board._

"_They won't tell me what flight he's on, Brits," Rachel said quietly, allowing herself to be pulled into a hug._

"_It doesn't matter, Rachel. This is what has to happen, I'm sure of it."_

"_What do you mean?" She pulled away from Brittany to stare at her. Brittany's eyes were fixed on something behind her, and she turned to see what Brittany was staring at._

"_This is what __**has**__ to happen. They didn't tell you for a reason. You're not meant to find him here. I know you're not." Her eyes continued to stare past Rachel, who again turned to see what she was looking at._

"_What are you staring at, Brits?" Rachel asked curiously. All she saw behind her was Giulia and the monitor listing departing flights._

"_Rachel…" Brittany tore her eyes away from whatever she'd been staring at to focus on Rachel. Her eyes had a curious glint to them, much like the last time they'd been in an airport together._

_Rachel's eyes lit up in understanding. "You really think that's a good idea Brits?"_

_Kurt, Puck, Quinn, Sam and Giulia all stared at the two of them, who seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes._

"_It's what has to happen," Brittany said firmly stepping closer to Giulia, who immediately moved towards Sam. "You know it and I know it."_

"_What? What has to happen?" Kurt demanded, confused by the cryptic conversation._

"_But where?"_

"_You know where."_

"_Will someone please fill us in?" Kurt demanded again, stamping his foot a little. A plan was clearly being concocted in front of him and he had no idea what the hell it was. Brittany and Rachel were staring at seemingly nothing as Brittany idly dragged a finger down the monitor Giulia had been standing in front of._

"_Are you sure?" Rachel asked, ignoring Kurt's request. "That one?"_

"_Positive. Let's go."_

_Just like last time, the girls took off at a run, only this time, Rachel was in the lead._

"_Rachel! Brittany! What are you doing?" Quinn called, running after them as did Kurt, Puck, Sam and even Giulia._

"_Kurt! Get over here," Rachel demanded, her eyes scanning the terminal looking for what she wanted. "We need help and only you can help us."_

* * *

><p>While traveling home with no luggage had been awesome at first, there were definite disadvantages, one of which Finn discovered when he got into his truck to go pick up Vincent. Automatically, he'd reached for the cord to plug his iPod in, only to remember that he'd left his iPod in Italy.<p>

He searched the truck hoping to find something to listen to, since he couldn't bear to listen to the radio. One of his biggest pet peeves was the fact that all the radio stations seemed to go on commercial at the same time and with the way the past few days had been going for him, it was almost a guarantee that the radio stations would be on commercial the entire ride over to his mom's.

"Aha!" he cried triumphantly, locating a CD under the passenger seat. He eyed the CD, knowing that the word "Mix" on the front was written in Kurt's neat handwriting. That fact made him a little wary, since there was a very strong possibility that this mix could very well be a mix of Barbra, Bette and Whitney.

Not seeing any other options, he popped it in, pressing the shuffle button, idly thinking of what he now called the _Rachelshuffle_, wondering what Kurt's CD was going to predict for his day.

_**I wanna know  
><em><strong>Who ever told you I was letting go<br>_**Of the only joy that I have ever known  
><em><strong>Girl, they're lying<strong>_**_**_**_

_**Just look around  
><em><strong>And all of the people that we used to know<br>_**Have just given up, they wanna let it go  
>But we're still trying<strong>_**_**_

_**So you should know this love we share  
><em><strong>Was never made to die<br>_**I'm glad we're on this one street  
><em><strong>Just you and I, just you and I<strong>_**_**_**_

_**I'm never gonna say goodbye  
><em><strong>Coz I never wanna see you cry<br>_**I swore to you our love would remain  
><em><strong>And I swear it all over again<br>_**And I, I'm never gonna treat you bad  
><em><strong>Coz I never wanna see you sad<br>_**And I swear it all over again, all over again**_**_**_**_**_**_**_

_**Some people say that  
><em><strong>Everything has got its place in time<br>_**Even the day must give way to the night  
><em><strong>But I'm not buying<br>**_**_**_**_

_**Coz in your eyes  
><em><strong>I see a love that burns eternally<br>_**And if you see how beautiful you are to me  
><em><strong>You'll know I'm not lying<strong>_**_**_**_

_**I'm never gonna say goodbye  
><strong>__**Coz I never wanna see you cry  
><strong>__**I swore to you our love would remain  
><strong>__**And I swear it all over again  
><strong>__**  
><strong>__**And I, I'm never gonna treat you bad  
><strong>__**Coz I never wanna see you sad  
><strong>__**I swore to share your love and your pain  
><strong>__**And I swear it all over again, all over again**_

_**The more I know of you  
><strong>__**Is the more I know I love you  
><strong>__**And the more that I'm sure  
><strong>__**I want you forever and ever more  
><strong>__**And the more that you love me  
><strong>__**Is the more that I know  
><strong>__**That I'm never gonna let you go  
><strong>__**Gotta let you know that I**_

_**I'm never gonna say goodbye  
><strong>__**Coz I never wanna see you cry  
><strong>__**I swore to you our love would remain  
><strong>__**And I swear it all over again  
><strong>__**And I, I'm never gonna treat you bad  
><strong>__**Coz I never wanna see you sad  
><strong>__**I swore to share your love and your pain  
><strong>__**And I swear it all over again, all over again  
><strong>__**All over again  
><strong>__**All over again  
><strong>__**I'll swear it all over again**_

Whoa. He didn't know this song, but the only thing he'd swear was that this song sucked. "Never gonna say goodbye, my ass," he muttered as he popped the CD out. He'd rather drive in silence than see what else Kurt's CD had picked out for his day.

"Oh, hey, Finn's back! We weren't expecting you till Thursday!" Burt announced loudly as Finn stepped into the house fifteen minutes later. Finn stared at him, assuming Burt was acting odd because Kurt had called and so helpfully told them everything that had happened in Italy.

They knew he'd met a girl already so the fact that Burt was acting weird meant one thing: they also knew he'd blown it with her all because he had the wrong name.

_But_ it meant that they also knew he'd be entitled to some pity food and movie time with his mom and he was more than ready to watch _Robin Hood_ while eating all his favorite foods.

But not _The Little Mermaid._

His mom was totally going to have to pick a different movie because there was _no way_ in hell he'd ever watch that movie again.

"So, uh, how was it?" Burt asked, throwing Finn a sympathetic glance that showed Finn that Burt did indeed know everything.

_Amazing._

_Unbelievable._

_Incredible._

"It was ok," Finn replied, banishing those other adjectives to the deep recesses of his brain. He wasn't about to tell Burt that he'd met the girl he fully intended to marry, even if his name wasn't Sam Evans. Thanks to his body still being on Italy time, he'd been unable to sleep when he'd climbed into bed upon his arrival home which resulted in him reliving every single moment, starting from the moment he stepped out of the elevator. The result of _that_ was that he was now arriving at his parent's house, unshaven, unshowered, wearing the same clothes and with dark circles around his eyes, basically looking like someone who'd spent the last 31 hours in a cramped plane. Not wanting to have to answer any questions about Rachel yet, he looked around, attempting to spot his dog. "Where's Vincent?"

"They're in the kitchen having breakfast."

"Oh." Figuring he'd have to face his mom sooner or later, he headed towards the kitchen, towards his mom's voice. He could hear her laughing at something and he hurried towards the room suddenly wanting to see his mom.

He paused in the doorway, smiling at the sight of his mom and Rachel sitting at the kitchen table, laughing over something as they ate their breakfast. He _knew_ it. He totally knew his mom would love Rachel and the fact that they were sitting at the table like old friends was just –

Whoa.

_Rachel _was having breakfast with his mom. _Rachel_.

The same Rachel who'd been kissing Sam Evans and enveloping herself in his arms.

In _Italy._

This couldn't be. Rachel just couldn't be sitting in his mother's kitchen somehow managing to simulataneously look adorable and sexy in one of his t-shirts as she calmly ate her pancakes. He stared at the two of them, trying to figure out how this could have possibly happened.

"Rachel?"

She smiled a small smile at him, unsure of how he'd react to seeing her. "Hello, Finn."

"What are you doing here? Why are you talking to my mom?" he asked bluntly, still in shock at seeing her.

"You…you left your shirt behind. I brought it back," Rachel offered lamely, fisting some of the material in her hand for a moment.

"Why are you wearing it?" His mouth asked the question, but other parts of him were demanding to know why she looked so damn sexy in it.

"Finn don't be rude. You left your shirt behind and Rachel was kind enough to bring it back. She's wearing it because she arrived without a change of clothes and I'm washing the clothes she came with," Carole admonished as she stood up and came over to him. "Now give me a hug. I haven't seen you for two weeks."

Obediently, he bent down to hug his mother, his eyes never leaving Rachel. He was almost afraid that if he looked anywhere else, she'd disappear from his mother's table. Carole pulled his head to her, placing her lips near his ear. "Talk to her, Finny. Listen to what she has to say."

"Where's Vincent?" he responded, still staring at Rachel. Her own eyes, the ones he loved so much, were trained intently on him. Carole pushed Finn towards Rachel, who'd stood up uncertainly. Neither noticed when she slipped out of the kitchen.

"He's outside. He just had his breakfast."

"Oh."

For a moment, they both stared at each other, not making a move until Rachel took a few tentative steps towards him. He continued staring at her, watching as she suddenly lost her tentativeness and launched herself at him, crashing her lips onto his. He stumbled backwards as he brought his arms around her and picked her up, his lips never leaving hers. Luckily, his back hit the doorframe, helping to steady his body, allowing him to concentrate on the fact that Rachel had lips and a neck that were sorely in need of being kissed. Hungrily, he kissed her all over, not particularly caring if Sam Evans was here too. For the moment, she was his, as if Sam Evans had never happened. He vaguely registered Burt and his mom watching from the foyer, but he had more important things to think about, like the fact that Rachel's tongue had just slipped into his mouth, demanding his attention.

"How? How are you here?" He pulled his lips away from her face to stare at her, his mind finally catching up to his body, telling him to slow down or Burt and his mom would be catching the encore performance of the show they'd put on for Aunt Sue.

Rachel cocked her head as her fingers played with the hair on the back of his neck. "Finn, have you ever heard of a little thing called Serendipity?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Reunited! Next chapter is the last chapter before the epilogue. The song Finn listened to is called "Swear it all over again" by Westlife._**

**_The image of Finn walking in to find Carole and Rachel at the kitchen table is something that's been in my head since the beginning of this story and pretty much everything that's happened since Sam arrived on the scene was designed to get Finn to that point._**


	22. Sam I Really Am

_**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>And then my soul saw you and it kind of went 'Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you.'<strong>_

_-__**Unknown**_

* * *

><p><em>Rachel cocked her head as her fingers played with the hair on the back of his neck. "Finn, have you ever heard of a little thing called Serendipity?"<em>

"Nope. Maybe you should explain it to me," he replied, placing a kiss on her lips.

Rachel quirked an eyebrow at him as she slid down his body, having finally noticed Burt and a misty-eyed Carole nearby_._ "I know we have a lot to talk about but you want me to explain right here?"

Finn glanced at his still staring parents, both of whom wore big smiles. "Good point."

"Maybe we should go upstai- _Finn!_" Rachel squealed as he suddenly scooped her up bridal style. "What are you doing?"

Finn didn't answer, carrying her right past his mom and Burt, who held the door open for him.

"Thank you for letting me stay over last night! It was lovely meeting you!" Rachel called out from Finn's arms as he marched to his truck. "I'm sure we'll be back later!"

"Dinner's at 6!" Carole called back, her voice watery as she watched Finn place Rachel gently in the passenger's seat before climbing into the SUV himself and backing down the driveway.

"So now that you've kidnapped me, where are you taking me?" Rachel asked as she waved goodbye to Burt and Carole out the window with her right hand, while her left hand found its way into the hand Finn had resting on the console.

He looked down at their intertwined hands, still in shock that Rachel was here, sitting in his car. He stopped the car at a red light and leaned over to kiss her, needing to make sure she was real. She eagerly kissed him back, cupping his face with her free hand. Only the honking of the car behind them alerted them to the changing light and they reluctantly broke apart.

She smiled at him as she played with the radio, which was set to CD. She pressed the shuffle button, curious to see what Finn listened to in the car.

"That's Kurt's CD," Finn warned. "I have no idea what's on it, but it proved eerily accurate on the way over to my mom's."

"Well let's see what it has planned for the rest of our day," Rachel decided, kissing their intertwined hands as she pressed play. She smiled as the first song started playing, immediately getting ready to sing along.

Finn, who'd secretly been hoping that Marvin Gaye's _Let's Get It On_ would start playing, grinned when the sound of Rachel singing along to Bryan Adams and Barbra Streisand's _I Finally Found Someone _filled the car.

The song finished just in time for them to kiss through the next red light, only to have the cars behind them start honking furiously again. They continued their little game at each light, only stopping when they'd earned the ire of other cars. Each light saw their kisses get more and more passionate as the amount of groping grew in proportion.

Finn had never enjoyed a car ride more. At some point during the car ride, his hand had found its way onto Rachel's thigh, roaming higher and higher with each gentle stroke until he'd made his way under his t-shirt she was wearing. He immediately abandoned her thigh to softly stroke her cotton covered core with one finger as he drove. This whole wearing only his shirt thing was _awesome, _he'd totally have to start thinking of ways for it to happen more often_._

The instant Finn parked the car and carried her into his apartment, any restraint they'd shown thus far disappeared. Finn blindly carried her down the hall, their lips fused together as they kissed furiously. He stumbled into a wall, separating long enough from Rachel's lips for her to pull the t-shirt off his body as he propped her up. Their lips immediately reattached once the shirt hit the hallway floor and Finn continued on his trek, Rachel's hands working furiously to unbutton his shorts. She shifted her legs that were locked around his waist up slightly once she'd unbuttoned them, allowing the shorts to fall and pool around his ankles.

Finn, who'd just transferred his lips to her neck, stumbled over the shorts as he fell forward, crashing Rachel's back into the closed bathroom door. Undaunted, he simply stepped out of the shorts as he began to suck on her neck, taking the opportunity to kick off his shoes at the same time. Rachel's hands fisted tufts of his hair while her eyes closed in pleasure as he bit and sucked, relishing in the feeling of him.

"Bedroom _now,_" she managed to breathe out, pulling his head off her neck for a searing kiss.

He grinned against her lips, literally hauling ass to his bedroom and practically tossing her on the bed in his excitement. Eagerly, he climbed over her, his face centimeters from hers as his hands ran up her legs. "You're wearing my shirt."

Rachel stared into his eyes, her serious tone unable to disguise the lust in her own eyes. "I think you're mistaken. I've had this shirt for years."

He grinned, tilting his head to the side to place kisses along her jaw in his quest to reach the soft skin under her ear. "Yeah? You a big Cleveland Browns fan too?"

"The biggest." Her answer came out accompanied by a soft moan as she felt his hand cup her breast over the shirt in question.

"Remind me. What sport do they play?" he murmured, nibbling her earlobe while his hand began squeezing and massaging her breasts. He could totally tell she didn't have a bra on underneath, which just made wearing his shirt even more awesome.

"Are you ever going to take _my_ shirt off of me or are you just going to quiz me all day?" Rachel demanded, pulling his head away from her neck with both hands in an attempt to distract him from the fact that she had no idea what sport they played.

Finn sat up on his legs, shaking his head as he continued to tease her, his hands holding up her leg so he could place kisses on it. "I don't know. I still think that's my shirt."

"You're wrong. It's mine." She sat up on her own legs facing him. "But if you want, you can check the tag."

"Maybe I should do that."

Rachel smiled coyly at him as she reached for the hem of the shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing the shirt at him. Finn, unable to do anything but stare at the woman clad only in a pair of pink cotton panties in front of him, ignored the shirt hitting him in the face. She scooted forward, straddling his legs and letting herself gyrate against the very prominent arousal in Finn's boxers as she placed her arms around his neck. "Well? Was it yours?"

Finn, completely distracted by the fact that she was grinding herself into his groin again, bit back a groan as he leaned down to suck on her pulse point, pushing her backwards onto the bed at the same time. He hovered over her, placing light kisses on her lips and chin before he let his lips find their way down to her breasts. He kissed the soft skin of each one several times before taking the stiff peak of the right one in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and sucking hard, eliciting the sounds he loved so much from her.

Not wanting her left breast to feel ignored, he pulled his mouth off her right breast, trailing kisses across her chest to do the same to her left breast. Rachel gave a low whimper at the actions of his tongue, her body writhing underneath him while her hands grabbed at the pillows behind her head. Releasing her breast, he picked his head up to stare into her eyes as his hands came up to tangle in her hair.

He had a million questions he wanted to ask her, number one being why was she here and number two being where the hell was Sam, but right now, for whatever reason, she was here with _him_, something he'd been dreaming about ever since he heard that she kissed Sam, which meant any questions he had could wait. He couldn't stop himself from staring into those dark brown eyes though, drinking in the lust and desire swirling around in them.

Ordinarily, Rachel loved the intimacy of staring into each other's eyes, but the want and wetness between her legs was taking over and she needed him inside her _now_. She pulled his face down for another scorching kiss, taking advantage of Finn being distracted to roll them over. Once again, she straddled him, leaning down to kiss him lightly as she teased him by brushing her core against his hardness. "You know, I remember you once telling me how much you hated underwear, _especially_ pink underwear and yet I still have my pink underwear on. Why is-"

She got no further, since Finn flipped them over again, making Rachel squeal as he quickly stripped her of the dreaded pink panties and placed a heated kiss on her lips. "Better?"

Struck dumb by the heat of that kiss, she nodded, her eyes growing even darker with desire as she watched him pull off his own underwear and kiss his way up her body, blindly reaching for his nightstand drawer with one hand while he nipped and sucked on her collarbone, not stopping until he'd left his mark. He hadn't been as successful in trying to reach into his nightstand, succeeding only in knocking a lamp and his watch off the surface.

"_Finn_," Rachel moaned, writhing underneath him. "Baby, hurry."

Reluctantly, he pulled his head off her, focusing on opening the drawer and fishing out a condom. Rachel wasn't making his task easy, since she'd attached herself to his neck, biting and sucking at the spot where his neck met his shoulder until she'd left a mark of her own. Not that he minded her lips sucking or biting his skin, but with her attached to him, he had a bit of a problem since he couldn't exactly look down to see what he was doing, condom wise.

Rachel solved the problem for him when she pulled her head from his neck; plucking the condom from his hand and pushing him back up into a sitting position before she sat up also. Her eyes were fixated on his as she took his rock hard length in her hand, running her fist up and down a few times. Her thumb grazed over the tip lightly, brushing away the moisture already gathered there. Unable to wait anymore, she ripped the wrapper open to sheath him as fast as she could.

Automatically, her arms came up to wrap around Finn's neck, pulling him with her as she lay back down, her nails scraping his shoulders. He willingly came with her, lowering his head to fuse their lips together in a furious embrace while he adjusted himself between her legs, harder than he'd ever been in his life.

Rachel widened her legs in anticipation, more than ready to feel that delicious slow burn that Finn being inside her created. She purred in pleasure as he slowly began to enter her, loving the way he filled her so completely. Her purrs of pleasure gave way to a frown when she felt him pause, knowing there was no way he was already completely buried inside her. She arched her hips and wiggled slightly, trying to get more of him inside her, whimpering a little as she did so.

He stared down at her, his eyes registering her protest but refusing to move further into her. Gently, his hands came up to cup her face, his thumbs stroking each cheek as he stared into eyes swirling with desire and something he couldn't identify. "I can't believe you're really here," he murmured, placing feather soft kisses on her heated skin. "Why?"

"Because I love you," Rachel breathed, squeezing his body with the legs she had resting on his rear to clearly imply that now was _not_ the time for talking.

Her words created a wide grin on Finn's face as he allowed himself to continue entering her. He waited until he was fully buried inside her before he stilled and stared into her eyes for a second time. He knew that the look of sheer pleasure on Rachel's face was mirrored in his own and it was a look he'd never get sick of seeing on her face. The sensation of once again being connected so intimately overwhelmed them so much that for a moment, they simply let the feeling pulsate throughout their bodies.

They cried out in unison as Finn began moving inside her, slow sensual thrusts that made them both see stars. Her nails scraped deeper into his back as she gripped him tightly and moved her legs around, wanting him to go as deep as possible. He groaned in pleasure at the new angle, Rachel doing the same below him as she pulled his face down to hers, placing a searing kiss on his lips.

Their hands found their way into each other's, helping to intensify the feelings flowing through their bodies. Over and over he drove his hips into her, each time trying to convey how much he loved her. He pulled almost completely out of her, pausing slightly before he thrust himself back into her, earning screams of pleasure from Rachel. Grinning, he did it a second time, wanting nothing more than to rip that sound from Rachel's lips again.

Every sound, every movement he made felt like it was a message of love directed at Rachel and he relished the noises coming from her own mouth, feeling like it was her response to his declarations of love. She matched each thrust with a rocking of her hips, sending what felt like bolts of lightning all over his body, even making his toes curl. He could tell she was getting close and the thought of her screaming _his_ name beneath him as she came made him drive into her harder.

She climaxed harder than she'd ever done before and it only took the sight of her shattering below him to send him off on his own powerful release. Still buried deep inside, he collapsed on top of her while his arms settled on either side of her torso, supporting his weight. He waited until he came down from his high a little before he brought his hands up to cup her face, soothing her flushed skin with the gentle caresses of his thumbs. "I still can't believe you're in my bed in _Ohio_. Why?"

"You left. I had to find you." She stared up at him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of how he felt. "Plus, there's that annoying love factor."

He leaned down, placing a series of super soft tender kisses on her lips before he allowed himself to look into her eyes. "It may be annoying, but it's a relief because I am so in love with you."

A smile broke out onto her face at his words as her eyes began to mist. She reached up to run a hand through his hair, murmuring as she did so. "I don't need Sam. It's always been you."

His own smile which had grown larger with each stroke of her hand through his hair, now died a little at the mention of Sam. Slowly, he pulled himself out of her, rolling off Rachel and onto his back for a moment, before he climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom.

Rachel sat up, confused by his sudden departure. She climbed out of bed, wrapping herself in a crocheted blanket that had fallen to the floor during their romp and followed him. She pushed open the half closed door to find him gripping the counter of the vanity, his head down. "Finny? What's wrong?"

"You're here and I'm still not Sam," he muttered. Not looking at Rachel, he reached over and turned on the shower, ignoring Rachel as he stepped in and drew the curtain. He took a deep breath, hardly believing what he was about to say. "I really think it's best if-"

"If you think telling me that you think it's best if I leave will actually work, then you don't know don't know me at all."

"Rachel-" he began, throwing his hands up in the air as he heard the toilet lid shut and the sound of Rachel plopping herself down on it defiantly. He'd known that being as stubborn as she is, she'd refuse to leave the bathroom when asked, but at least he could tell Sam that he tried to get her to leave when he came to find her.

He honestly didn't know what to do at this point since the last thing in the world he wanted was for her to leave. He'd been _so_ thrilled when he'd first saw her sitting with his mother and his excitement had only grown with their lovemaking and declarations of love. It wasn't until she'd mentioned not needing Sam that reality bitch-slapped him in the face and he realized he'd made her _cheat_ on Sam. She deserved so much more than to be fooling around with him, no matter how much he wanted to.

Rachel watched the silhouette of a dejected Finn lean his head against the tile, the water diverting its trajectory around him. She dropped the blanket that was wrapped around her and quietly stepped into the shower behind Finn, slipping her arms around his waist and placing a kiss on his back.

Finn picked his head up off the tiles immediately at her touch, turning around. "Rachel, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, but I can't do this. I don't want you to be with me if it means that you won't be as happy as you can be and you'll be happiest with Sam. I want you to be happy, even if it means I'm miserable."

"You want me to be happy, but you won't let me explain," Rachel said slowly, the water hitting her face as she stared up at him.

"There's nothing to explain. Your destiny is with Sam, not me." His hand came up to brush the water off her face before he could stop himself, and he inwardly cursed his lack of willpower when it came to Rachel.

"My destiny is with Sam and yet I'm standing naked in a shower with _you_ after probably what was the most _intense_ sex I've ever had, again with _you_," Rachel pointed out, placing her own hand over the one he still had cupped over her cheek. "Don't you want to know why that is?"

"Fine. Enlighten me," Finn replied dully, not particularly wanting to hear how her relationship with Sam was going.

"Well, where to begin?" she asked, staring at the water glistening on his chest as she took a step towards him. "It's really a story of numbers, you know."

"Really." He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Eight: The age I was when I got the name of my soul mate, Sam Evans." She raised her head a little, licking the water off his right nipple before nibbling it.

"_Rachel._" He looked down at the brown eyes innocently staring back at him as her tongue darted out to lick off some more water droplets on its way to his other nipple. He bit back a groan as she took his nipple between her teeth, trying to appear unaffected by her actions, but he could already feel his body starting to betray him.

Ignoring his warning, she dragged her tongue back along his chest, lapping up more water droplets. "Fourteen: the age I was when I received a Fortune Cookie with a quote by Sam Evans in it." Moving her head lower, she began sucking in a different spot. "Understand so far?"

"Yeah," he grunted, his eyes closing in spite of himself. She smiled up at him, her lips finding a new spot to kiss and nip.

"I waited _years_ for Sam, and he never came. _Years_," she stressed, bending slightly to suck on the soft skin above his belly button. "Which brings me to the number twenty-seven. That's how old I was when I made a huge mistake of becoming engaged to an arrogant bastard." Her tongue dipped into his belly button, swirling around the edge before nipping at the skin with her teeth for a moment. "Got that?"

He made an incoherent cross between a grumble and a snort, which Rachel took as a sign to continue. Her hands, which had been roaming his chest, reached behind to grip his rear as she got down on her knees. She placed a few kisses along his hip bone before she looked up at him and continued her tale. "One. The number of years I spent questioning my engagement."

Finn's hand came up involuntarily to tangle in her wet hair as she bit and sucked on his hip bone, leaving her own brand of tattoo on him. "Four hundred seventy-six. The number of the flight that Sam Evans took to Italy and made me chase after him. Still with me?"

"Uh huh…" he grunted as Rachel pointedly ignored the prominent display of arousal directly in front of her face, choosing instead to kiss her way around to his right hipbone.

"Fifteen," she murmured against his hipbone. "The number of minutes I was in the hotel before I had _The Moment._"

The grip he had on the back of her head tightened considerably at her words and the first ray of hope began to spring up in his chest.

"Two." She kissed her way down his hipbone towards his throbbing erection, letting her tongue run dainty swipes along his length. "The number of fake Sam Evans I met before I met the real one."

"Zero." Her tongue ran up his length, stopping just short of his tip. She paused, staring up at him, her eyes wide with desire. "Do you know why that number is important?"

"No," he breathed out, one hand trying to grip the wet tile for support while the other continued to tangle itself in her hair, all thoughts of resisting her long forgotten.

She smiled up at him for a second, flicking his tip with her tongue a few times before she spoke. "It's the amount of attraction I felt towards the real Sam."

The small ray of hope that had sprung up now grew bigger. He closed his eyes at the thought, hoping there wasn't a _but_ statement coming his way.

"And we've now arrived at the most important number of all." She swirled her tongue around his tip once before she took him in her mouth, hallowing her cheeks and running up and down his length a few times before releasing him. "Twenty: The number of years Noah waited before telling me that he made Sam Evans up."

Finn's eyes shot open at the combination of her words and the loss of her mouth on his organ. "What? What do you mean he made him up?"

She smiled coyly at him before answering. "He was mad at me for embarrassing him in front of Brittany." She took him in her mouth again, moving up and down once before she released him. "So he bribed the gypsy."

Her lips were on him once more, repeating her actions and releasing him. "And he created the fortune cookie." For a third time, she ran her mouth up and down his shaft once, torturing him.

"Seriously?" he grunted. Her actions were reducing him to one word answers. Behind him, the water was growing consistently colder against his back, but he had more important things to think about right now. Like the fact that she was now using her teeth to graze him lightly before releasing him.

"Made." She swirled her tongue around his tip. "It." She swirled again. "All." Another swirl. "Up."

She stared up at him while she took him in her mouth once more, this time letting him hit the back of her throat. His eyes closed in ecstasy as she _finally_ stopped teasing him, going fast then slow, fast then slow and practically making him crazy. Although barely able to focus on anything other than how amazing she felt on him, Rachel's words managed to somehow seep into his brain.

Sam Evans _wasn't_ her destiny.

The thought alone made him explode forcefully into her mouth. Rachel swallowed everything he gave her, running her mouth up and down a few more times to milk everything she could before she released him. She smiled as she stood up, kissing her way up his chest.

He stared at her, his eyes glazed over as he finally asked a question. "So that guy was another fake Sam?"

"No, he really _was_ named Sam Evans, but it was a total coincidence that I met him," she replied, her arms snaking around his waist as his face fell. "Don't you see what that means?"

"Yeah," he replied bitterly, unwrapping Rachel from around him and stepping out of the shower. "As usual, it means I'm getting screwed. Puck makes up some random name and then you actually meet someone with that name, making the prophecy true. Which means you've just cheated on him twice because I have zero willpower around you."

Rachel shook her head as she followed him out of the shower. She grabbed him by his arm, forcing him to look at her. "You don't understand. Brits was right. _You're Sam._"

He laughed, the hollow sound echoing throughout the bathroom. "I've been hearing that for the last week and yet you're still kissing other guys."

He tried to sidestep Rachel and make his way out of the bathroom, but Rachel blocked his path, her voice containing a steel resolve he'd never heard before. "Finn. Sit down _now_."

While he could easily pick her up and move her from in front of the door, something told him he'd better do as she said. He plopped himself down on the closed toilet, waiting for her to start talking.

Satisfied that he wasn't going to bolt, Rachel walked over to him and sat down on his lap facing him. She cupped his face, placing a gentle kiss on his lips before she spoke. "I want you to promise you'll listen to me." She placed another kiss on his lips. "Do you promise?"

"Yeah."

His response earned him a third kiss. Rachel's fingers began to play with the wet hair on the back of his neck as she spoke. "I asked you a question at your mom's house and I need an answer. Do you know what Serendipity is?"

"No."

"Serendipity is when you look for something, find something else and realize what you found is so much better for you than what you set out to look for in the first place. Yes, I spent years waiting for Sam and yes, I did chase him to Italy. I chased a man I'd never met, never even saw all the way across an ocean believing it was my destiny. And I was right. It _was_ my destiny."

Finn opened his mouth to say something, only to have Rachel place a finger against his lips, silencing him. "No. You lost the right to talk when you left me in Italy. As I was saying, I was convinced by Brittany that it was my destiny to go to Rome to find him and have my moment. But here's the thing. I didn't find him. Instead, I found this tall irritating artist who lied to me and drove me crazy…and I loved it. Not that I would admit it, but I loved every single minute I spent with him, even though I wanted to hate him _so_ much for messing with my destiny."

He stared at her, trying to figure out where she was going with this. She scooted a little closer to his chest, one hand still caressing the hair on his neck. "So there I was, chasing an unknown Sam Evans down to Amalfi with an entourage of Brits, Quinn, the man I wanted desperately to hate along with his brother and I _still_ couldn't find Sam, finding only another fake Sam and an arrogant ex-fiancé. Brittany pointed out that maybe the reason I hadn't found Sam was because I'd already found him, but I didn't want to hear it. I was convinced my destiny was _Sam_, not an imposter Sam. You know what made me see the light?" She removed the finger she still had resting against his lips. "You can answer this question."

"I don't know; what?" he managed to get out before the finger silenced him again.

"A conversation with my Nana and a conversation with _Giulia_ of all people. Nana turned me on to the idea of Serendipity, even if I didn't understand it at the time and Giulia told me about a conversation she'd overheard between my arrogant ex-fiancé and that artist who'd invaded my life in which the artist had declared me amazing, beautiful and talented while defending me. She pointed out what I was too stubborn to admit and between her, Brittany and Nana, I finally came to the realization that it's you. _You're Sam_. I was chasing you."

Finn stared at her, afraid to get his hopes up.

"Don't you see?" She gave a small laugh. "Brittany was right. She kept insisting that I _had_ to go to Italy, that this was what was supposed to happen. She once told me that Sam was a means to an end and she was right. Destiny used Sam Evans as a way to get me to find you. I knew it from the moment I saw you at the elevator, but I didn't want to admit it."

"So you're telling me that the Fortune Cookie, the gypsy and Puck's lies were all meant to get you to me?"

She nodded, smiling widely. "Turns out that the Fortune Cookie was right. It told me that the one I love would be behind a door and you were."

"If you knew from the first time you saw me at the elevator, then why did you kiss _him_?" he asked quietly, finally voicing his biggest fear as he averted his eyes.

Rachel ran a hand through his hair. "I know that's why you left but if you had just-"

"No." The word was spoken quietly but forcibly. "That's the thing. I told you once before how I felt about Sam arriving and I thought I could handle it once he came, but when I heard from Sue that you were passionately kissing him in _our_ spot, I knew I had to get out of there. That beach belongs to _us_, Rachel. It always will, even if you kiss another man on it under a full moon."

"Finny, look at me." When he refused, she placed a hand on either side of his face, forcibly turning his head so that she could see his eyes. She registered the hurt in them, gently bringing her lips up to place a soft kiss against each eye. "I _had_ to kiss Sam. I didn't have a choice."

He stared at her, trying not to let her see how torn apart he was by her words. "Don't lie. You kissed him because you were born to kiss him. He's Sam."

"_No_. I didn't do it because I wanted to or because his name is Sam. I did it for _you_," she stressed, keeping her hands on either side of his face as she caressed his cheeks.

"You did it for me. Right."

"I did." She kissed him hard, trying to get him to understand that she was born to kiss _him_. "I was showing Sam around the beach and I saw Sue watching us. I kissed him _on purpose_, knowing that Sue would think it was the ass she was looking for and go brand _him_." She removed a hand from his cheek, reaching down to squeeze his rear end. "I _really_ like your cute little butt the way it is, unmarked by Sue's initials."

Finn said nothing, processing this new piece of information. She'd kissed him _on purpose_. Not because she was attracted to Sam, but because she was protecting _him_.

Rachel stared at him, unsure of what the look on his face meant. "It was Serendipity. I set out to find Sam, believing he was meant for me but I found you instead and you're everything I never knew I was looking for." She leaned her head against his forehead. "The entire time I was with Sam, I talked about you and I think we bored each other to death. I was never so thrilled to stop kissing a person."

She smiled at the grin spreading across Finn's face just before his lips suddenly attached themselves to hers, rendering her unable to speak. Frantically, he pulled her body as close to his as he could, kissing her until he felt lightheaded from both the burning in his lungs and the feeling of her. He pulled away from her, breathing hard. "Eight: The age I was the first time I saw _The Little Mermaid_."

Rachel, breathing just as hard, let her fingers wrap around tufts of his hair as his lips found his way to her neck. He kissed it a few times, noticing a previous mark he'd made in Italy that was starting to fade.

That just wouldn't do.

Purposely, he bit and sucked in the same spot, rebranding her as his before he looked into Rachel's eyes. "Seven: The number of weeks ago that Blaine broke his leg. Got that?"

She nodded, her body quivering from his touch as he ran his hands up and down her thighs. "Four: Family members who tag teamed and tricked me into taking Blaine's place at the last minute."

He placed a hot kiss on her bare shoulder. "Twenty-eight: The number of gay men who tried to set me up with a girl in every city from Milan to Rome."

She laughed at that, only to have her giggles swallowed by Finn's mouth when he pressed his lips to hers. "Zero: The number of girls they found for me that I was into."

"Lucky for me," Rachel managed to breathe out, keenly aware of the hand Finn was slipping between her legs while his mouth continued its assault on her neck and jaw.

He smiled against her neck as his fingers began stroking her. "Three: the number of girls who came running up to me at the Spanish Steps, mistaking me for some guy named Sam."

Rachel began rocking against his hand as she listened. "One: stunning brunette that I had to lie to in order to spend time with, because of the number thirty." He slipped a finger into her.

"Thirty?" she asked, barely able to get the word out. She scooted forward slightly and leaned back, placing her hands behind her on Finn's knees. Her eyes closed in ecstasy as a second finger joined the first, moving in sync inside her. He grinned at the wail that escaped from her lips, knowing it was a sound he'd never get tired of.

"Mmm-hmm," he murmured, tilting his head to kiss the soft tops of her breasts, his fingers still working furiously inside her. "Thirty is the exact number of seconds after I saw you that I _knew_." He could feel her getting tighter against his fingers and began speaking quicker. "I knew when I saw you that you'd be different from any other girl I'd ever met and I knew that your voice would sound like angels. I was right on both counts."

She let loose another wail before crashing her lips onto his while his fingers moved in a scissoring motion inside her and his thumb rubbed feverishly against her. Unable to help himself, he let a groan of his own loose the instant he felt her walls clenching around his fingers. He curled his fingers into her a few more times, wanting her to get the most she could.

Rachel, breathing heavy and eyes glazed over, let her head rest on his shoulder, trying to get her bearings. She picked her head up after a minute to look into his eyes. She could feel his erection poking her and she shifted, letting herself rub against it. "Does that mean you understand now?"

"I do," he mumbled against her neck, trailing light kisses along it.

"I don't think you do," Rachel decided, reaching down and dragging a fingernail along the underside of his length. "I want to make sure you _really_ understand."

He closed his eyes, biting back a groan at the sensation. "Maybe you're right, baby. Maybe you should explain again."

"I thought so."

He opened his eyes just in time to see her climb off of him. "What are you doing?"

"Don't talk."

He obeyed, watching as she climbed back onto him, one hand guiding him into her. "What about-"

"I'm on the Pill." She smiled coyly at him as she leaned back and once again placed her hands on his knees behind her. She shifted slightly, letting them both revel in the feeling of being so intimately connected with no barriers between them. "And I _said _don't talk."

He grinned as he watched her slowly raise her left leg, her years of dance training kicking in as she flexed at the knee seductively before placing her ankle on his shoulder. She extended her right leg, repeating her actions and resting her ankle on his other shoulder.

Leaning back against the toilet tank, his hands automatically moved to grip her behind as she began to rock back and forth against him. His eyes widened at the intimate view he was getting of her and the moans coming from her mouth were getting progressively louder, making him almost feverish with desire.

Her eyes connected with his as she raised her rear end slightly, distributing her weight between her ankles and her hands for support. Finn's hands gripped her tightly, helping her to thrust into him over and over again until she gave one final, piercing scream as her body began trembling and she threw her head back in ecstasy. Ignoring the toilet tank digging into his back, he slammed her body down onto his again before his own release came and he spilled into her.

He waited until he'd recovered slightly before he lowered her ankles from his shoulders one at a time, giving each one a kiss before placing it on the ground. Rachel's hands came off his knees to pull his head towards hers, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He held her close to his body, picking her up slightly to release himself from her before resettling her back on his lap.

"Do you get it now?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.

"I do." He grabbed her face, cupping it as he kissed her hard. "I still have one more number for you though: nine."

"What's that?"

"The number of places in this apartment where I want to have my way with you." He kissed her again, shifting uncomfortably on the toilet seat.

She giggled against his lips. "Well we've already covered the shower, bed and this toilet seat. Where else did you have in mind?"

"Would you like me to show you?" he asked, carefully standing and holding Rachel close to him at the same time.

She didn't answer at first, wrapping her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck. "Hmmm. I don't know if I should go with you. My boyfriend might not like it."

He grinned, placing a kiss on her lips as he carried her out of the bathroom. "I think he'll be ok with it, since you're with me."

"What makes you think he'll be ok with it?" she teased, taking his bottom lip between her teeth. "He's very big, you know."

"I've heard that, but it doesn't matter," he murmured, pressing her against the wall for a moment to kiss her.

"Why not?" she breathed out, giggling as he covered her chest with small kisses. He pulled his face away from her to stare into her eyes.

"Because you're _my_ destiny."

* * *

><p>"<em>…Yes…Yes…Yes!" <em>

Rachel collapsed onto Finn, fresh from yet another round of intense lovemaking, this time on his couch. He hadn't been kidding when he'd said he had nine different spots where he wanted to have his way with her. He'd already taken her on his desk and they'd had some fun with their lunch on the kitchen table before this current session on the couch.

Exhausted, she cuddled into him, enjoying the feeling of his fingers playing with her sexified hair. She stretched against him, yawning as she did so, trying to find the optimal cuddle position. "Mmm. This is nice."

Finn glanced down at her. "Does that cute little yawn mean I tired you out?"

She snuggled deeper into his side, nuzzling her face against his chest. "Mmm-hmm."

"Hey, Rach?" He pulled the afghan his grandmother had made him off the back of the couch, tucking it over her securely.

"Yes?"

"How long have you been in Ohio? You slept at my parent's last night?"

"Since about 5:30 yesterday. I took a cab to your mom's house and had dinner with your parents."

Huh. She was sitting having dinner with his parents while he was stuck eating crappy airport food in Atlanta.

His hands paused their ministrations on her hair, earning a whimper of protest from Rachel. "How the hell did you do that? It took me _31 hours_ to get home. I had to fly to Paris, sleep in the airport and then fly to Atlanta the next morning, only to sit in the airport _there_ for hours before I could fly to Dayton."

"That's what you get for leaving me," Rachel quipped, pressing her lips to his chest. "I never had a ticket home, so since we were already at the airport looking for you, I simply did a little research and found a flight that would get me to Ohio as fast as possible with minimal layovers. It was really quite easy."

It totally hadn't happened like that, but Rachel felt he should suffer a little for leaving her.

_"Kurt! Get over here," Rachel demanded, her eyes scanning the terminal looking for what she wanted. "We need help and only you can help us!"_

"_Rachel, what the hell are you and Brittany talking about?" he called out. Rachel ignored his question, taking off for the nearest counter, Brittany hot on her heels. "Rachel!"_

_He caught up to them at the British Airways counter, Quinn and Puck just behind him. He grabbed Rachel's arm just in time to hear the ticket agent discussing a flight to Green Bay with Rachel. "Rachel! What are you doing?"_

"_Finn's on a plane somewhere. Eventually, he'll have to go home, right? And when he does, I'll be there waiting, right Brits?" Rachel pleaded, turning back to the agent._

"_By going to Green Bay? I don't know what you know about the mid-west, but it's not all one big state. Green Bay's not even in the same state as Lima," Kurt pointed out._

"_It can't be __**that**__ far away, Kurt. Once Rachel gets to Green Bay, she can rent a car or ohh, she could take a train!" Brittany responded excitedly._

"_No. Just no." He pushed his way past Brittany to get to the counter and Rachel who was currently in discussions with the agent. "Rachel, no."_

"_I'm doing this, Kurt. Don't try and stop me."_

"_I'm not, but-"_

"_Then move so I can finish buying my ticket to Green Bay. The flight leaves soon."_

"_But Rachel-"_

"_Look, I know he's on his way home. I need to get there, get to him."_

"_Not by going to Green Bay and renting a car you're not," Kurt snapped. He turned his attention to the ticket agent. "Ignore what she said. She needs to get to Dayton, Ohio."_

_The ticket agent nodded. "We don't fly directly there unfortunately, but I can put her on a flight to Chicago, with a connection in London. From there she can catch a flight from Chicago to Dayton."_

"_When does it leave?" Rachel demanded._

"_In about an hour. You'll be landing in the United States about 4:00, their time."_

"_I'll take it."_

"So you just hopped a plane and showed up at my parent's door?"

"Mmm-hmm. Kurt told me the address and what to tell the cabbie."

_Rachel stared out the window of the cab, checking out the residential street Finn had once called home. The cab slowed down, checking out the house numbers, finally pulling up in front of a large white two story house. She stared at the house for a moment, taking in the cheerful flower boxes on the windows and the inviting tulip border lining the walkway. "Is this it?"_

"_You said 312 Fortuna Drive. The house says 312," the cabbie pointed out, turning to look at Rachel. "You getting out?"_

"_Yes, yes I am." Glancing at the meter, she quickly paid him and got out. The cab sped off, leaving her staring at the house and wondering if Finn was inside._

_Before she could change her mind, she clutched her purse to her chest and marched up the walkway. Her finger shot out and pressed the doorbell, a pleasant tune immediately echoing throughout the house. Her heart sped up at the sound of footsteps coming towards the door, hoping it was Finn. _

_Instead it was opened by a middle aged woman bearing a resemblance to Finn. The amber eyes so familiar to Rachel stared out of their feminine counterpart expectantly. Rachel smiled at her uncertainly, assuming this was Finn's mother._

"_Hi, I'm-" Rachel began, not quite sure how to verbalize that she was the woman who'd been sleeping with her son and had subsequently caused said son to flee a foreign country for whereabouts unknown._

"_Rachel. You're Rachel." The answer came as a statement rather than a question as the door opened wider._

_Rachel didn't have time to answer before she was swept into a hug. Unsure of what to do, she hugged her back. Surprised, she managed to stammer out an answer. "How…how did you know?"_

_Carole pulled away from her, staring at her happily. "You're just as I pictured you when Kurt told me that Finny met a girl."_

"_Oh, well-"_

"_Not that I would know of course, since Finn can't be bothered to pick up his phone or call his mother once in a while." She peered out the door, looking around. "Where is that son of mine? We weren't expecting the boys until Thursday."_

_Rachel shifted uncomfortably. "Um…I was hoping he was here." _

_Carole's face paled at her words and her hand came up to her heart. "Why would you think that? Has something happened to him? Where's Kurt? Oh God, I need to call my husband."_

"_No, no…" Rachel assured her, stopping Carole in her tracks. "Finn and I just had a misunderstanding and he left. I was hoping he was here so I could talk to him."_

"_Oh." Relieved, the smile came back on her face. "Well he's not here yet, but why don't you come in and wait for him? I was just about to start dinner."_

"_I can help," Rachel offered immediately. Her eyes lit up as a fat Bulldog wandered into the hallway, a stuffed football clasped firmly in his mouth. The Bulldog's body and legs were a tawny brown, while his head, neck and stomach were white, with the exception of the tawny brown patches around each eye. Unlike his body, his ears were a mix of brown and white. "Is this Vincent?"_

_Carole smiled affectionately at her granddog. "That's Vincent. Finny rescued him from a shelter. He named him Vincent after the artist Vincent Van Gogh and the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi. Be careful, sometimes he can be a little funny around new people."_

_Her words were unnecessary, since Rachel was already bending down and petting the Bulldog, who'd dropped his football and rolled onto his back, allowing Rachel to hit that spot that never failed to make Vincent's leg twitch in satisfaction._

_Giving Vincent one last belly rub, Rachel stood up. "What can I help you with?"_

"_Why don't you come with me and we'll talk," Carole decided. _

_Rachel nodded, following her into the kitchen. She washed her hands quickly and settled onto the chair at the kitchen island Carole gestured to, placing her purse on the back of the chair. Vincent grabbed his stuffed football and followed, circling at the base of Rachel's chair and lying down. _

"_So Rachel, how did you meet my Finn?" Carole asked, handing Rachel a knife, vegetable peeler and cutting board before she began pulling vegetables for a salad out of the fridge. She placed the vegetables on the island for Rachel to begin cutting as she continued. "Since the only time Finn's called in the last eight days was when my poor Kurt somehow got his hand stuck in a toilet, I haven't heard the story."_

_Rachel snorted. "__**That**__ was the big emergency? Kurt sent Brittany to come get Finn, but he wouldn't let Brittany tell Finn what the problem was."_

"_Burt knows the specifics. I'm not entirely sure how it happened since Finny hung up before I could get on the phone." She shook her head at the antics of her sons. "So who's Brittany?"_

"_Brittany's been my best friend since we were seven years old. Actually, she's the reason I went to Italy in the first place," Rachel explained, peeling a carrot. She paused, staring at Carole for a second. "Can I ask you something?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Do you believe in fate?"_

"_Oh yes! I met Finn's father when I rescheduled an eye doctor's appointment. My car had broken down and I missed my original appointment because of it. I was so mad when they could only reschedule me for the next week, since I was out of contacts and was stuck wearing my old glasses. Turns out that the alternator going was the best thing that could ever have happened to me, since it made me meet Christopher and eventually gave me Finn." She smiled at Rachel. "I stole a magazine from their office because I was __**that **__sure I'd met the man I was going to marry that day."_

"_I did the same thing!" Rachel admitted, fishing through her bag for the little vitamin bottle. "This has sand in it."_

"_Oh! Is that from the beach where you met Finn?" Carole asked excitedly, loving Rachel more with each minute._

"_No, I met Finn on the Spanish Steps, although I saw him in the hotel before that," she replied. "This is sand from…um… the first time we, uh…kissed under the full moon."_

_Carole glanced down at Rachel's blush, concentrating on cutting up her eggplant. "So why was Brittany the reason you went to Italy?"_

"_It's kind of complicated," Rachel hedged. She had no problems telling Carole the story, but didn't want Carole to get the wrong impression when she found out about Jesse._

"_I've got time."_

_Rachel smiled, deciding to go for it. "The week before my eighth birthday, my grandmother told my cousin Noah and I the story of how she'd met my grandfather. It was during WWII and she'd been dragged to a dance she didn't want to go to, to meet some guy her friend Margaret thought she'd like. The guy turned out to be a real jerk, but when she glanced at the door, she saw my grandfather standing there, staring at her. They couldn't take their eyes off of each other as they walked to the center of the room. Nana had what she called '__**The Moment**__.' She said it was destiny, since Grandpa wasn't supposed to be home from the army yet and she hadn't been planning on going to the dance at all. She told Noah and I about soul mates and how everyone has one."_

_Carole smiled. "It was like that with Christopher. I couldn't stop staring at him when he entered the doctor's office. We stared at each other over our magazines until he finally said something about my choice of reading material."_

"_It was a story that impressed me so much that a week later, at my eighth birthday party, I asked the fortune teller the name of my soul mate and she very firmly told me his name was Sam Evans."_

_Carole laughed. "Wow, you didn't waste any time, did you?"_

"_Brittany and I spent hours discussing Sam and when I'd meet him that year, and then we kind of stopped talking about it, I guess since he never showed." She laughed as she finished peeling and cutting up the carrots and moved onto the celery. "We were convinced he was going to appear on the slide or something."_

"_So then what happened?"_

"_Well when we were fourteen, Sam Evans came back into our thoughts. I got a fortune from my Fortune Cookie that read, 'Be open to love for the one you love is behind your door.' It was a quote by Sam Evans."_

"_Really?" Carole paused her sauce stirring to stare at Rachel. "So Sam never came?"_

"_Nope. I waited years for him, but he never showed. Eventually, I started dating Jesse and just gave up on the idea of a soul mate along with Sam Evans."_

"_You didn't have your moment with Jesse, did you?" Carole asked softly, resuming her stirring._

"_No. I convinced myself that it didn't matter, since we got along and we had similar interests." She paused, debating whether to tell Carole this next part. "It wasn't until Jesse proposed that I thought about Sam again."_

"_You're married?" Carole asked sharply, gripping her wooden spoon tightly._

"_No! No!" Rachel hastened to assure her. "I'm not married, but as I was saying, I was standing there while Jesse proposed, trying to convince myself to say yes, and the thought popped into my head that I had to say no because Jesse wasn't my soul mate, Sam was. I pushed it to the back of my head and said yes anyway." She looked down at the celery in her hand, afraid to see what Carole's reaction was. _

_"I spent the next year having doubts while Jesse became Groomzilla and started questioning everyone I could about their relationship, trying to figure out how they knew they were doing the right thing, because I didn't know. Just like you said you were that sure you'd marry Christopher the day you met him, Brittany, Nana and Noah's wife Quinn all said the same thing that you did. And that was the thing, I didn't know. Jesse and I worked together for six months before he even noticed me, let alone asked me out. I couldn't figure out how everyone could know so quickly and I wasn't able to."_

"_Did you tell your parents about Sam or the fact that you were having doubts?" Carole asked, ladling some of the sauce into the bottom of a rectangular glass baking dish before cracking some eggs in a bowl and pouring bread crumbs into another._

_Rachel shook her head. "Only Nana knew about the fortune teller, but she didn't know about the cookie. Brits was the only one who knew about both, since she was there both times. As for my parents, well, my father is gay. He and my other father conceived me via surrogate. I met my birth mother once when I was sixteen, but she wanted nothing to do with me and I've never seen or heard from her since."_

"_Oh, Rachel…" She placed a hand over Rachel's, trying to offer comfort. "I'm glad you had your Nana and Brittany then."_

_Smiling, Rachel continued her story. "So nine days ago, Brittany asked me if I wanted to go with her to the airport, since she was dropping her husband off for a business trip. Jesse had announced that he was going to California with his agent to go on the talk shows a few days earlier, leaving me back in New York alone, so I agreed." She laughed. "We figured we'd drop Artie off at the international terminal then head back to the city for some shopping and dinner. Little did we know that that was __**not**__ the plan."_

"_Really?" Carole's hands were moving automatically, dipping the eggplant in the egg wash and bread crumbs before she put them in the frying pan but her eyes were fixed firmly on Rachel._

"_We'd just watched Artie go through security when we heard __**it**__. 'Alitalia Flight 476 passenger Sam Evans please report to your gate," Rachel recited, grabbing a tomato to cut._

_Carole gasped; her hand pausing mid-dip. "But if Sam was there, how does Finn fit in to it?"_

_Rachel smiled. "I'm getting there. Obviously, we couldn't see Sam, so Brittany convinced me to buy a ticket to Italy. She'd always firmly believed in the idea of a soul mate, having met Artie early in college and she was steadfast in her belief that I belonged with Sam and not Jesse. She insisted that she didn't want me settling, that she didn't want me to always wonder."_

"_Smart girl," Carole commented, resuming her eggplant frying. She pulled some of the eggplant out of the frying pan, placing them on top of the sauce she'd spooned into the baking dish earlier. "You probably would've always wondered what would have happened."_

"_I know," Rachel agreed, tipping the tomatoes she'd cut into the colander. "Brittany not only convinced me to go to Italy, she got Quinn, my cousin Noah's wife, to pack our suitcases for us and agree to come along."_

"_A girl's trip," Carole surmised, spooning more sauce over the eggplant._

"_Right. Quinn coming along was a blessing; she spoke Italian and had relatives in Italy who managed to find out what hotel Sam was staying in: the Hotel Cavalieri in Rome. The three of us flew to Italy to find a man we'd never seen, never met. The only thing I was sure of was that Sam would have amber eyes because on the flight over, I'd had a dream about those eyes."_

"_Finn's eyes…" Carole commented thoughtfully, immediately noticing the smile that was now gracing Rachel's face. "I'm guessing you met Finn soon after landing?"_

_Rachel nodded, still smiling._ "_We weren't at the hotel more than fifteen minutes when it happened. Quinn was checking us in, so I was just looking around the lobby, watching some old couple sitting on a bench in front of an elevator as they listened to the piano player. They were so cute and I was fascinated by them. Only the ding of the elevator behind them tore my gaze from the couple. I looked up at the elevator quickly, intending to go right back to the old couple and that's when I saw him."_

"_Finn?" Carole gasped._

_Rachel's smile grew wider as she began tearing lettuce. "Yup. He stepped out of the elevator, looking at something in his hands and I was already hooked, but once he looked up, I was captivated. I couldn't stop staring at him as I started walking towards him. Quinn actually called my name several times and I didn't even notice. I'd seen the amber eyes even from across the room and it was like we were the only two people in the room as we walked towards each other. It was my __**Moment**__, the one I'd never had with Jesse."_

"_So what did Finn say when you walked over to him?" Carole asked, hoping he'd controlled his word vomit._

"_Nothing. The moment was ruined," Rachel said bitterly, tearing the lettuce a little more forcefully than she intended to. "A stupid basketball team came in and separated us and when I managed to get through them, he was gone."_

"_He left?" Carole exclaimed incredulously. She shook her head. "I swear; he's unbelievable sometimes."_

"_I couldn't believe it. I'd had __**The Moment**__ and it was interrupted. Brittany had seen us and was convinced he was Sam, since he'd come from behind a door. Not sure of what to do, we decided to go get gelato and head over to the Spanish Steps to plan our next move. We settled about halfway up the stairs with our gelato, discussing what to do and I started people watching. One of the people I noticed was a smaller man surrounded by shopping bags, his arms crossed and tapping his foot. He was constantly pulling his phone out and texting."_

"_Kurt," Carole surmised with a smile. "No doubt he shopped till he dropped and needed Finn to carry his bags."_

_Rachel laughed. "I wish you could have seen it. He had so many bags and the wind kept blowing them over while he waited. Every time he piled them back up, the wind knocked them over again. It was making me giggle, until I'd realized who'd come to help him try and gather his bags. I couldn't believe that the guy from the hotel was there, helping him try and corral all those bags."_

"_So what happened?" Carole finished frying the last of the eggplant, placing it in the pan with the other pieces before ladling more sauce on and sprinkling cheese over it._

"_Well once again, Brittany saw and she dragged me over to the man we believed was Sam, introducing me to him. Ku-"_

"_Wait. Do __**not**__ tell me that Finn told you his name was Sam?" Carole interjected as she placed the dish in the oven. "Please tell me he didn't lie to you."_

"_He did, but looking back, he didn't really have much choice. Brits had dragged me over, screaming the name Sam and she just launched into an explanation of how I'd been waiting for him, never really giving him a chance to interrupt."_

"_And Kurt went along with this? Wait till I get a hold of those two."_

_Rachel laughed. "We went with the two of them to a café, but then Finn took me to see an art museum. He was just incredible in the museum, taking the time to explain the art to me and he was just so passionate about it, that it was infectious."_

"_He was drawing before he could form full sentences," Carole announced proudly. "He was able to mold Play-Doh into incredibly detailed dinosaurs when he was only three and a half."_

"_Really? He didn't tell me that!" Rachel exclaimed, handing the colander of cut vegetables to Carole. _

"_Oh yes. He was never without a crayon, as my walls could attest."_

"_He's so talented," Rachel gushed. "He drew some incredible landscapes of the Italian coast for you."_

_Carole beamed. "He painted that picture over the table, as well as the ones in the dining room. Between him and Kurt, decorating is a breeze." She paused before continuing, her motherly instinct telling her that Finn's lie was about to kick him in the ass. "So since I'm sure this all backfired in Finn's face, when did you find out he wasn't Sam?"_

"_We had_ _such an amazing day; we even went on a boat ride and he told me how you used to watch The Little Mermaid together. Of course, Finn fell out of the boat, but-"_

"_He fell out? Why doesn't that surprise me?"_

_Rachel laughed at the memory. "He fell out and then pulled me into the water with him. And it was there, right in the middle of a lake, that we had our first kiss."_

"_How romantic!" Carole commented, pulling some dishes out of the cabinet._

"_It really was. I'd never felt anything like it. That kiss was reverberated throughout my entire body and my mind just went blank. Never in my life had I been kissed like that. It made me realize that I needed to call off my wedding."_

"_Oh honey…" Carole stared at the girl across from her, her eyes growing misty._

"_It wasn't until we go to the hotel again that I found out from members of his tour group that he wasn't Sam. I'm sorry to say that I slapped him as hard as I could when I found out he'd lied."_

"_As you should have," Carole stated, her female solidarity overriding her motherly concern that her son got slapped._

_Rachel smiled. "I asked Finn once why he'd lied to me and he said it was because he knew as soon as he saw me that I was different from other girls, that it could be something. He said he panicked when he found out I was looking for someone named Sam because he knew he'd have no shot then, since I was so fixated on finally meeting Sam."_

_Carole nodded. "Finn was always one to act first and think later. He gets that from his father."_

"_Right. So anyway, I left Finn and went to Quinn's room, where Kurt was with Brittany and Quinn doing facials. I yelled at him for a while then I went and called off my wedding."_

"_How did Jesse take it?"_

"_Not too well. I couldn't make him understand what I was trying to say, that one afternoon spent with Finn and he already knew more about me than Jesse ever did. I think I was just with Jesse for the sake of being with someone. I'd never even told Jesse about the prophecies or Sam Evans and I could never bring myself to move in with him."_

"_Sounds to me like you loved Jesse, but you weren't in love with him," Carole responded, pulling some silverware out of a drawer. "So how did my Finny get you to forgive him? Don't tell me he and Kurt concocted another harebrained scheme."_

_Rachel laughed. "No. I was still furious at him, but Quinn, Brittany and Kurt had bonded over shopping in Rome, so when we found out that Sam Evans had gone down to Amalfi, Quinn decided to invite Kurt and Finn along. Her family has an amazing hotel on the cliffs there and we figured we could stay there while tracking down Sam. I don't know how he did it, maybe it was the portrait he did of me or that he taught me how to play volleyball, but my anger over his lie faded and we became inseparable, especially once Kurt had his hangover. That night, Finn and I stayed up all night, just talking and taking care of Kurt."_

_Carole smiled, picturing the scene in her head. "Sounds romantic."_

_"It was," Rachel said firmly. "We were inseparable after that night, even after Jesse showed up."_

"_Jesse showed up!" Carole exclaimed; amazed at this Italian soap opera Finn found himself in._

_Rachel rolled her eyes as she hopped off the chair and watched Carole set the table. "He was convinced it was cold feet. I tried to stick Giulia on him, but that didn't work."_

"_Giulia?"_

"_This whore who was after Finn." She gripped a napkin tightly. "She always wanted to have what she called 'the sex' with Finn, no matter how many times he turned her down. Actually, I guess I shouldn't really call her that anymore, since she did point out to me that Finn wanted me and only me. She even drove me to the airport."_

_Carole smiled knowingly. "I see."_

"_Once Jesse __**finally **__got it through his thick head that I wouldn't be marrying him, he left, but not before pointing out that he'd noticed how I'd fallen in love with Finn. She bit her lip in contemplation. "Everyone could see it except for me. Even Nana could tell all the way across an ocean."_

_Carole smiled at her as she placed the silverware on the table, noticing that Rachel now had a worried look on her face._

_"Actually, that's not true. I knew it too. I knew it from the moment I saw him, but I was too stubborn to admit it, since he wasn't Sam." She sank down into a seat, wiping her eyes free of the tears that had started to form._

_"Rachel, honey, what's wrong?" Carole asked immediately, quickly placing the final glass on the table and pulling up a chair next to Rachel. She hugged the small girl to her, suspecting that Rachel had finally gotten to the part of the story where things went wrong. "Why are you crying?"_

_Rachel cried into her shoulder for a few minutes before she picked her head up. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes, smearing her make-up. "We found Sam, entirely by accident and things just went downhill from there. It's been a whole misunderstanding from the start and Finn left and now I don't know where he is. He needs to know the truth. What if he never comes back?" she sobbed, ever dramatic._

_Carole hugged her again as fresh tears began to fall. "Rachel, I can assure you that wherever he is right now, he __**will**__ make his way here, __**especially**__ if he thinks he's got a broken heart."_

_Rachel picked her head up again, wiping her eyes. "You probably think I'm insane. I mean, I just show up on your doorstep, claiming to love your son and now I'm crying into your arms."'_

_"Not at all. Now why don't you tell me what exactly happened to make him run?"_

_"Quinn has a crazy aunt named Sue," Rachel began, biting her lip as she debated exactly how much to share. "Um, I've never had a mother before, so I'm not sure how much you'll want to hear or what I could share without embarrassing Finn."_

_Carole nodded in understanding. "I don't need to hear specifics."_

_"Ok, well like I said, Quinn's Aunt Sue is insane. She was always throwing waiters in the pool if they brought her the wrong drink and she once threw a volleyball at Finn, hitting him in the head for no reason. She pushed me in the pool too, simply for getting in her way accidentally. Fortunately, Finn was there to pull me out and yell at her. He was really very chivalrous."_

_"She sounds awful," Carole commented, smiling at the compliment to Finn._

_"She is. Anyway, after Jesse left, I went to find Finn. I had talked to Nana earlier, and she'd told me a part of the story that I didn't know. She didn't plan on going to that dance simply because the man she believed she was destined to marry had enlisted in the army earlier that month and she fully intended to wait for him, even if he didn't know she was alive. She told me it was Serendipity, since she planned on marrying Norman, but instead she'd found Grandpa that night, who turned out to be so much better for her. I wanted to tell Finn what Nana had told me and I finally found him on the beach, staring out at the darkening sea."_

_Her face turned scarlet through her tears as she told Carole the next part. "We argued about Sam for a few minutes before he kissed me and once he did, I knew I never wanted it to stop, that I didn't need to find Sam. We were um, __**together**__ and it turned out we were right under Sue's balcony. It was too dark for her to see anything, but she managed to get a glimpse of the, um, __**back**__ of Finn. She was so furious that her quiet time on her balcony was disrupted that she started a search for the two people who'd ruined her night."_

_Carole laughed in spite of herself. "Only Finn."_

_Rachel gave a small laugh as she wiped her eyes again. "Sue knew it was me when she heard me scream as I fell in the pool, but she didn't know who the guy was that she'd gotten a glimpse of. No one would give him up; even with the reward she was offering."_

_"There was a reward?"_

_"Yes, she even had professional Wanted posters made up with a likeness of what she'd seen on it."_

_"You're kidding me!" she exclaimed, offering Rachel a napkin to blow her nose with._

_"I wish I was," Rachel replied, emphasizing her statement with a loud honk. "Since she was so crazy, we thought it would be best if we laid low, so we decided to go on a hike. When Finn and I came back, the real Sam Evans was in the hotel lobby."_

_"Are you serious? You had a moment with him?" Carole asked incredulously._

_Rachel shook her head in a negative manner firmly. "Absolutely not. I didn't even notice he was there, since Finn was being playful and had carried me into the hotel bridal style. Sam was actually our waiter at a restaurant the day before and I didn't notice him then either. He'd found Jesse's wallet at the restaurant so he was bringing it back and it turned out that he knew Quinn's cousins."_

_"I see."_

_"I was ready to leave Sam and go spend time with Finn, but instead, Finn and I went with Sam and Marco to have a drink, even though I didn't want to. Finn insisted we go because I'd been waiting for Sam for so long. He had to leave me there when Kurt got his hand stuck in the toilet and that's where it all went wrong because Finn jumped to conclusions." She started crying again, wiping her eyes furiously._

_"Rachel, I don't understand. __**What happened**__?"_

_Rachel paused her crying to attempt to explain. "While Finn was off helping Kurt, I got stuck talking to Sam alone and showing him around. It was like talking to a brick wall, since neither of us could keep a conversation going. He wasn't even interested in Finn's artwork!" She blew her nose again, still indignant that Sam didn't appreciate good art. "I wanted to get some of that sand, so once I managed to ditch Sam, I headed down to the beach. Sam must have followed me, because he started questioning why the area was cordoned off with police tape and traffic cones."_

_"Traffic cones!"_

_Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yes, traffic cones. That's how insane the woman is. She kept checking the 'crime scene' as she called it for clues and while I was getting the sand with Sam, she came out to the pool area just above us, watching. I realized that she would assume that Sam was Finn, so I kissed him, making sure that she saw and would think it was the man she'd gotten a glimpse of." She smiled sadly. "It was a good idea right?"_

_"It sounds like you did it to save Finny from this crazy lady."_

_"I did!" Rachel agreed eagerly. "I hated kissing him. His lips are all scratchy and I made sure I kept my mouth firmly closed. Finn's lips are always so soft and I always go weak at the knees. With Sam, I was just counting the seconds until Sue left so I could stop kissing him, you know?"_

_"I don't understand. If you hated it that much, why did Finn leave?"_

_"Sue," Rachel muttered darkly. "She told him she'd found the man she was looking to brand with her branding iron, since she'd seen me kissing him passionately. I wasn't there, but apparently Finn was so upset that he stormed out of the hotel."_

_Carole groaned, putting her head in her hand. "He's always jumping to conclusions."_

_"Do you think he'll forgive me?" Rachel asked quietly. "I did it for him, I swear. I searched all over Amalfi to try and explain, but I never found him. The only reason I know he went to Rome was because he came back to punch Sam in the face and then he took off again. I was in the bathroom when he did it, but Sam heard him tell the cab driver to take him to Rome. So I followed him. He __**has**__ to know. He has to know I did it for us, that there's no Sam Evans and there never was, since Noah made the whole thing up."_

_"What? What do you mean?" Carole asked, her head beginning to spin from this story._

_Rachel sighed. "My stupid cousin was mad at me at my eighth birthday party and he bribed the fortune teller to tell me the name Sam Evans. He personally wrote the Fortune Cookie that had the quote from Sam Evans, a name he got from some TV show Nana watched. The fact that I really did hear the name Sam Evans announced and then find someone with that name is pure coincidence." She reached into her bag and pulled out her camera. "Look. Look at these pictures of me and Finn. How can he possibly think I wanted to kiss Sam?"_

_"No, Rachel, you're wrong," Carole said firmly, scrolling through the pictures, pausing at the one of Finn and Rachel in front of the waterfall. "It brought you to Finn. It's not coincidence. It's Serendipity."_

"Whoa, you seriously told my mom about our fucking on the beach?" Finn asked; his hand pausing mid hair twirl as he realized what that meant. "How much did you tell her?"

"_Finn!_" Rachel chastised. "First of all, don't be so vulgar. Second of all, I only told her what was necessary to the story. The details of that night remain between us. Oh, and Brits and Quinn."

"Great." He resumed his hair twirling, trying not to be mortified that Brittany and Quinn knew the details about his junk and his performance. "Where are they anyway?"

"They went back to Amalfi with Kurt to get all our luggage, then they're going back to Rome, since Kurt has more luggage there. They'll come back to the US when Kurt does, so Thursday. I guess I'll have to go shopping at some point before then, since I have no clothes here." She pressed her lips against his chest again.

"What's wrong with what you have on?" he asked, his voice taking on a husky tone.

"I'm not wearing anyth…" her voice trailed off as the implications of Finn's statement sunk in. She sat up, giving Finn's chest a smack. "_Finn._ We _cannot _stay naked until Thursday."

"Why not? You look amazing naked." He reached out to stroke the underside of one breast as if to prove his point. Rachel refused to succumb to his line of thinking and smacked his hand away.

"Well for starters, we're having dinner with your parents and Blaine tonight and I refuse to show up naked to your mother's house. It's bad enough I have to show up wearing only your shirt, since you kidnapped me before my clothes were done." She poked his chest playfully. "I don't even have shoes in this apartment thanks to you."

"Why are you blaming me? It's all your fault." He grabbed the hand that was poking him, turning it over to kiss the soft skin of her inner wrist.

Rachel snatched her hand back. "I fail to see how my not having shoes here is _my_ fault."

"You attacked me at my mom's, kissing me and jamming your tongue down my throat. I had to get you out of there before we gave my parents the Sue Sylvester treatment." He sat up a little, placing a kiss on her lips. "Since you kissed me first, it's clearly your fault."

"I _only_ did that because you were just standing there, so it's really _your_ fault," Rachel insisted, ignoring Finn's mouth currently placing little kisses on her jaw.

"I think we've had this conversation before," he murmured against her jaw.

"I think we have," Rachel agreed, tilting her head as his lips moved lower, momentarily losing herself in the feeling of his lips pressing down on her neck. She regained her senses when she felt him bite her neck, trying to mark her in yet another spot. "Finn, _no._"

"Funny," he commented, picking his head up for a second before he resumed his biting.

"_Finny_, no," she repeated firmly, pulling his head away from her neck as she glanced at the clock. "We have too much to do."

He stared at her, an amused look on his face as he lay back down. "Too much to do? Like what?"

"It's 4:00 now. Your mother said dinner is at 6 and I'd like to help her prepare it, so ideally we should be back there by five. I still need to take a shower and so do you for that matter."

"Well I have a time saving solution for that," he cut in, a mischievous look on his face as he sat up.

Rachel placed a warning hand on his chest. "I will be showering _alone_ as will you, once you get back from the store."

Finn ignored the hand on his chest as he leaned in to kiss her shoulder repeatedly until her words sunk in. "You _know_ you want to sho- wait what?"

"You need to go to the store while I shower," Rachel repeated firmly.

"For what?" he asked, hoping she didn't want him to go buy clothes or worse, _tampons_.

"I need you to go buy me some concealer," she stated, eyeing the love bites littered across his chest and assuming her neck and chest was just as bad.

"Seriously? I put a lot of effort into those marks," he pouted. "Why cover them?"

"I refuse to dine with your mother looking like Giulia the morning after. She'll think I'm a whore!" Rachel explained, scandalized at the thought. "I don't want her to think we were having sex all day!"

Finn laughed. "Well since you spilled about what went down on the beach, I think it's safe to say she knows what we've been doing all day."

"I don't care," Rachel insisted stubbornly. "It's bad enough I'm arriving empty handed, barefoot and wearing your shirt, I won't arrive looking sexed either."

"Sexed?"

"Yes, _sexed._" She climbed off the couch, holding out a hand to Finn. "When you look like you've had sex and a lot of it. I'll be mortified if your mom thinks that about me."

"Ah, I see." Quickly, he scooped her up, carrying her back to the bedroom and depositing her on the bed with a kiss.

She sat up on her elbows, watching as he reluctantly dressed and searched for his keys. "Finny, wait."

"I don't have to go?" he asked hopefully, crawling onto the bed next to her. "Because you want to forget dinner and stay in bed?"

She ignored the small kisses he was now placing along her shoulder. "Oh, you're going. I was simply going to tell you what shade to get."

He sighed in defeat, lying back on the bed and listening as Rachel described in detail what to look for, nodding in all the right places.

Satisfied that he knew what to get, she climbed off the bed and headed into the bathroom, ready to make herself look presentable for dinner. Just as she'd suspected, the marks on her chest and neck screamed _Finn was here._ She ran her hand over the marks lovingly as she took in her wild hair and thoroughly kissed face.

"You_ sure_ you want to cover my artwork?"

She jumped at the voice, whirling around to see Finn leaning against the doorway watching her. "Out."

Laughing, he leaned down to steal a kiss before she shut the door. She leaned against the closed door for a moment, closing her eyes in happiness and hugging herself as she listened to Finn's footsteps echo down the hallway.

Finn paused at the front door as the sound of Rachel's singing began to float out of the bathroom. Forgetting that he was supposed to be going to the store, he leaned against the door, letting her amazing voice wash over him.

_**I get lost in your eyes**_

_** And I feel my spirits rise **_

_**And soar like the wind**_

_** Is it love that I am in?**_

_**I get weak **__**in a glance**_

_**Isn't that what's called romance?**_

_**...And now I know**_

_**'Cause when I'm lost I can't let go**_

_**I don't mind not knowing what I'm headed for**_

_**You can take me to the skies...**_

_**It's like being lost in heaven**_

_**When I'm lost in your eyes**_

_**I just fell, don't know why**_

_**Something's there we can't deny...**_

_**And when I first knew**_

_**Was when I first looked at you**_

_**And if I can't find my way**_

_**If salvation seems worlds away**_

_**Oh, I'll be found**_

_**When I am lost in your eyes**_

It was official. That was one sound he'd _never_ be sick of.

* * *

><p>"Looking out the window every two seconds isn't going to make them come any faster, Carole," Burt teased, wheeling Blaine into the living room. "Based on what I saw this morning, we'll be lucky if they come back at all."<p>

Blaine laughed. "I'm sorry I missed it. I knew this girl was something special from the way Finn was going on about her when he called me."

"He told you about her?" Carole demanded, pausing her peeking for a moment. "When was this?"

"He called me the other day and he couldn't stop talking about Rachel and how amazing she was or how he felt about her." Blaine held up his hands defensively when he saw the look on Carole's face. "He made me promise not to tell you!"

"Wait till I get my hands on him." She peeked out the window again, squealing when she saw Finn's SUV pull into the driveway. "Burt! Blaine! Get away from the window! I don't want Finny to think we were watching for him."

Both Burt and Blaine refrained from pointing out that the only one near the window was Carole, who was once again peeking out the window. She smiled as she watched Finn run around to the other side to the car, lifting a barefoot Rachel out and carrying her to the house. She stepped away from the window and pushed Blaine away from the baseball game Burt had just turned on for him, trying to appear as if she hadn't been spying on them.

"Mom? Burt? Blaine?" Finn's voice rang out a second before he came into the living room, Rachel just behind him

"Oh, Finn, you're here," Carole said nonchalantly, her eyes immediately noticing the fact that Finn had one hand firmly tucked into Rachel's. "I didn't even hear you pull up."

"No? You were probably too busy spying, I mean _looking_ out the window," Finn replied cheekily.

Carole flushed, ignoring the snickers of both Burt and Blaine as she turned to Rachel. "Your clothes are done, Rachel honey. I left them on top of Finn's old bed."

"Oh, great!" Rachel beamed, looking up at Finn. "I'll go change and then I'll help you with dinner. I'll be right back."

Finn watched her scamper off upstairs, a goofy love-struck look unknowingly written on his face.

"In love much?" Blaine teased. He laughed along with Burt and Carole as Finn's face turned scarlet.

"Shut up," he retorted, adding a smack to the back of Blaine's head for effect.

"I told you so, Finny," Carole commented slyly, sliding up to a still blushing Finn.

"You were right," he admitted.

"Good. Now that that's out of the way, I can do this." Like Finn had just done to Blaine, Carole reached up to smack her son on the back of his head.

"Ow! Why are you hitting me?"

"That was for lying to Rachel," Carole explained, reaching up to smack Finn on the back of the head again. "And _that's_ for telling Blaine not to tell me about Rachel and never calling me."

Finn rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he looked down at his mother. "Yeah, uh sorry about that. I'm uh, gonna go check on Rachel."

Quickly, before his mother could hit him again, he bolted from the living room and took the stairs two at a time. He paused at his closed door, giving a light knock as he opened the door and slipped in. His eyes immediately dilated at the sight of Rachel standing in front of the mirror in her little jean skirt and bra. "You almost ready, babe?"

She eyed her reflection critically before pulling on her tank top. "I'm just doing a hickey check, making sure I got them all. But I'm glad you're here. I wanted to show you something in private."

"Yeah?" he asked, allowing himself to be led over to the bed. Rachel sat down next to him, reaching for her purse on the bed.

"I wanted to show you this." She held up the pill bottle filled with sand.

"Is that the sand?" He took the bottle from her, holding it up to examine as a smile came on his face at the memory.

"Yes, but that's not why I wanted to show you it." She looped her arm through his, leaning her chin on his shoulder. "What do you remember about that night?"

"I remember you looking amazing." He picked her chin up with his fingers, placing a kiss on her lips. "And insanely sexy." Another kiss. "And I stand by my statement that no piece of art could match your beauty."

She smiled against his lips for a moment, letting his words wash over her before speaking. "Thank you, but I'm not talking about what you remember about me. I was asking more what you remembered about our surroundings."

He pulled away from her in surprise. "I didn't know Sue was on her balcony, I swear."

Rachel reached up to run a hand through his hair. "Don't you want to know _why_ Sue was on her balcony that night?"

"Sue was on her balcony that night because she's a pervert?" he guessed, letting his face rest in Rachel's hand.

"I don't know if she's a pervert but that's not the reason why she was out on her balcony."

"Actually she _is_ a pervert. She threw that volleyball at me because she was checking me out. She saw the hard-on I was getting from you in your bathing suit," Finn admitted.

"Ok fine, she's a pervert, but she was a pervert with a purpose that night," Rachel replied, giggling at Finn's admission.

"How so?"

"Sue was out on her balcony that night because she was looking at the moon." She paused before elaborating. "The _full_ moon."

His eyes went wide as a grin spread on his face. "You mean…"

Rachel nodded happily. "The legend is true, baby. Looks like you're stuck with me as a soul mate."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I can deal with that if you can. I know how much you hate me."

She shrugged; a teasing glint in her eye. "I guess I'm screwed then."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Two days later…<strong>_

"There he is! Kurt! Over here!" Burt called excitedly, waving his baseball cap like a madman. "Kurt!"

Kurt hurried over to his father and boyfriend, greeting each one in turn. "Did she make it?" he demanded once they were done with the greetings. "Is he here?"

"If you mean Rachel, then yes, she did," Blaine responded as Burt began pushing him towards baggage. "Finn did too."

"How did it go? _Please_ tell me they sorted everything out," Kurt begged. "If they didn't, I'm on the next plane out, I don't care where it's going."

"No worries, Kurt, everything's good with them. They've been over for dinner every night, I'm sure tonight will be no exception." Burt parked Blaine's wheelchair near the baggage carousel, waiting for the luggage to start coming out. "Actually, they were at the house when we left, so you'll be able to see for yourself."

"Those two owe me so much it's unbelievable," Kurt commented, just as the baggage carousel started beeping, signaling the arrival of the luggage. He sighed as the first piece of luggage came out, a bright pink suitcase with a very large sparkly ribbon on it. He waited as long as he could before pulling it off the carousel quickly, dropping it on the ground like it had the plague.

"Louis Vuitton's new line?" Blaine quipped, reaching out to finger the sparkly pink ribbon. Beside him, Burt was struggling to hold in his laughter.

"Both of you shut up," Kurt snapped. "That atrocity belongs to Rachel. It was a real shame to put all the fabulous clothes we bought her in it."

"More clothes? She and Finn just went out and bought her some clothes the other night. Poor girl arrived with nothing but Finn's shirt," Burt commented, spying what could be Finn's suitcase coming towards them. "Is that Finn's?"

"Unfortunately." Kurt pulled the suitcase off the carousel, placing it next to Rachel's. One of his own suitcases came by and he grabbed that also. "So what have they been doing, besides eating dinner with you?"

Burt shrugged. "They've been off in their own little world. I know they spent the day out at the lake yesterday."

Kurt snorted at that, wondering if they'd had a repeat of the beach in Amalfi. "Did they mention anything about a branding iron?"

"Uh, no. They did go miniature golfing last night after dinner though," Burt replied as he pulled two more of Kurt's suitcases off, confused by Kurt's statement.

"Carole's over the moon. She has been since the moment you told her about Rachel, but now that she's met her, she's started counting the days until the first grandchild arrives," Blaine added.

"Well with those two, it probably won't be too long," Kurt replied smirking, grabbing the last of suitcases off the carousel. He piled the luggage onto a luggage cart, wishing Finn was here to push it.

"What are you talking about?" Blaine asked curiously as Burt began pushing him while Kurt struggled with the luggage cart.

"I'll fill you in in the car," Kurt promised. "You won't _believe_ what happened in Italy."

* * *

><p>A mug of coffee in her hand, Carole stared out the kitchen window, her eyes fixated on the hammock Burt had given her as an anniversary present a few years ago, or more specifically what was<em> in<em> the hammock.

Shortly after lunch, Burt and Blaine had left to go pick up Kurt from the airport. Finn, having seen enough of Kurt over the last two weeks, declined the offer to go with them, choosing instead to take a nap in the hammock. Rachel had helped Carole clean up then made her way out to the hammock to join Finn.

Not that she was spying or anything, but Carole's vantage point from the kitchen window had allowed her to see Rachel climb into the hammock next to a slumbering Finn. Her eyes had grown misty as she noticed the peaceful look that immediately passed over a still sleeping Finn's face when he felt Rachel curl into his side, a position they'd remained in for the past two hours.

"Carole? We're home!"

"In here Burt!" she called back, not bothering to take her eyes off her son and his girlfriend sound asleep in the hammock until she heard footsteps entering the kitchen.

"Kurt!" she cried joyfully when her other son entered the kitchen. Happily, she ran over to him, enveloping him in a big hug. "How was Italy? I heard all about your adventure from Rachel, but I want to hear about what you saw and did."

Kurt hugged her back tightly, more than glad to be home. Concentrating on his hug, he failed to see his mother's hand coming up to smack him on the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That's for going along with that stupid scheme," Carole responded as she peered over his shoulder, her eyes growing wide when she saw the amount of luggage Burt was piling in the hallway. "Is all that your luggage? Finn said you bought a lot but did you buy _more_ suitcases?"

Kurt released her, eyeing the pile of luggage with distaste. "As if I would buy anything other than Louis Vuitton. That hideous pink one is Rachel's and the nondescript black one that every household in America has belongs to Finn." He turned back to Carole. "Where are the lovebirds? I'd like to inform them that their luggage, which they couldn't be bothered to take with them, has arrived."

"They're sleeping in the hammock, all curled up together," Carole gushed, leading Kurt over to the window so he could see them. "Rachel's just the cutest thing, isn't she? She looks like a doll next to Finn."

"Yeah, they're adorable," Kurt commented dryly, still furious at the injustice done to his suitcase. "I think I'll go say hello."

Quickly, before Carole could stop him, he opened the back door and stalked out, making a beeline for the hammock. Finn was lying stretched out on his back, his long legs tangled with one of Rachel's, who was curled into his side. Her head rested peacefully on his chest, one arm draped across his stomach, her fingers intertwined with Finn's, while his other arm was wrapped securely around Rachel, making sure she stayed as close to him as possible, even in sleep. Their chests rose and fell in sync, causing Kurt to feel bad about what he was about to do.

Almost.

He grabbed the end of the hammock, giving it a good yank and making both Finn and Rachel tumble out. Rachel screamed as she hit the ground, while Finn simply seemed dazed for a moment before realizing what had happened.

"Dude! What the hell?" he asked angrily as he stood up, offering a hand to Rachel. His eyes scanned her body, making sure she was ok. She seemed to be as she took his hand and dusted off her clothes before moving to do the same to his. Finn's voice took on a much sweeter tone to form his next question. "You alright, baby?"

"I'm fine." She finished dusting him off and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her head against Finn's chest as she looked at Kurt. "Was that really necessary, Kurt?"

"You owe me approximately $3,750 dollars in damages." He crossed his arms and stared, waiting for either Finn or Rachel to say something.

"For what?" Rachel asked, never lifting her head off of Finn's chest.

"For the destruction of my Pegase 65 Louis Vuitton suitcase, the remains of which were found in our hotel room in Rome. I believe it's called Criminal Mischief." He held out a hand expectantly. "$3,750 please."

"Yeah, sorry about that, Kurt," Finn said sheepishly, his arms wrapping loosely around Rachel. "I'll get you a new one. I was a little upset."

"Next time, take it out on your own $69.95 Samsonite special, or better yet, Rachel's awful pink suitcase with the sparkly pink ribbon on it."

"Hey! That sparkly pink ribbon on the handle makes it really easy to find at the baggage claim!" Rachel defended, Finn's arms moving to wrap around her even tighter.

"Yes, because there's such a plethora of pink suitcases that it'll make it hard to find yours."

The sarcasm in his voice wasn't lost on either Finn or Rachel, who exchanged a look. Rachel finally spoke, deciding to change the topic. "I spoke to Brittany before, Kurt. She and Artie are coming to Ohio tomorrow, along with Lord Tubbington. Apparently, he's upset that Brittany and Artie both went away without him; and since Lord Tubbington's never been to Ohio, she feels the trip will go a long way towards him letting go of his grudge."

"Really?" Kurt, excited by the idea of Brittany coming, completely lost all the sarcasm in his voice. For about a minute. "Don't think Brittany coming will distract me from the fact that my suitcase was the innocent victim of a lover's quarrel."

"Kurt, get over it," Finn called over his shoulder, towing Rachel back into the house. Kurt followed behind, still furious about his suitcase.

"How would you like it if you walked into a room and saw pieces of your painting scattered around the room?" he questioned crossly. "We never found the handle!"

"Finny and Burt are taking Blaine to a baseball game tonight, so after we have an early dinner and get rid of them, we can embarrass Finn by telling Carole all about the silly things he did in Italy, will that make you feel better, Kurt?" Rachel reasoned.

"Hey!" Finn cut in, silenced only by a kiss from Rachel.

"Hmmpf. It's a start," Kurt grumbled. He brightened when he remembered the video from their first day in Milan. "I do have the video from when Finn was outed for being straight to show you guys."

"See? We'll have a great time. It's what your suitcase would've wanted," Rachel said soothingly, leading Kurt over to a seat at the table. Carole had spread out the Chinese food that had just been delivered upon it and she handed Kurt a plate as he sat down next to Blaine.

Finn regaled the group with Kurt's toilet adventure as they ate, causing the entire table to cry tears of laughter. Kurt stayed silent, plotting his revenge for after Finn left.

"Ok, who wants a Fortune Cookie?" Burt asked, tossing the cookies around the table to the others.

Rachel opened hers eagerly, curious to see what it said. She gasped when the words registered, her eyes growing wide.

_**Stop searching forever. Happiness is right next to you.**_

She mulled the fortune over, her fingers caressing the small piece of paper. The last time she'd gotten a fortune like this, it had led her on a wild goose chase, only for her to find exactly what she never knew she was looking for. This time however, she _knew_ what the fortune was talking about, and she wouldn't have to wait years for it to come true.

It was funny, in a way. That first fortune had been the start of everything, guiding her to her destiny and now here was this new fortune, telling her to stop, that she was finally where she was supposed to be. Not to mention,_ who_ she was supposed to be with.

"You alright, babe?" Finn asked, his arm resting across the back of her chair. He leaned over, placing a reassuring kiss on her temple.

"I'm perfect, Finn. Look." Eyes shining, she held the paper out to him.

"Stop searching forever. Happiness is right next to you," he read aloud. He looked up; a playful look on his face as he shrugged. "Doesn't surprise me that you got this fortune."

"Oh? And why is that?" Rachel challenged, leaning in close to him.

"You don't listen, do you? I've been saying that Sam will make you happy since the day I met you."

"So?"

He leaned his forehead against hers. "Haven't you heard? I'm Sam."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Just the epilogue left, which takes place exactly one year to the day Rachel saw Finn coming out of the elevator :)**_


	23. Where It All Began

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn't have expected.<strong>_

_**-Ben Okri**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Exactly one year later…<strong>_

The sunlight streaming into the room lured Rachel from her deep slumber. Sleepily she stretched, not quite ready to open to her eyes. Automatically, her hands patted the bed searching for the whereabouts of Finn, wondering why he wasn't pressed up against her with his arms around her like usual. Not finding him, she cracked open one eye to see where he could be, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings and the empty other side of the bed. Frowning, she sat up, trying to orientate herself to her surroundings. It took Rachel a second, but once sleep left her body, a wide smile replaced her frown as she realized what day it was.

Her wedding day.

Happily, she bounded out of bed and ran out onto the balcony to check the weather. The warm sun and clear blue sky greeted her as Rachel stared out at the beautiful Amalfi coast, hardly believing that the day she'd been waiting the past year for, well really the past twenty years, was _finally _here. She smiled, knowing that Finn was down there somewhere waiting for her. She hadn't seen him since yesterday evening and it was far too long to go without seeing him.

They hadn't been separated like this since the early days of their relationship, when Finn would make the drive from Ohio every Friday night, only to have to do the same thing in reverse on Sunday. Since Broadway is dark on Mondays, she'd drive back with him after her Sunday performance and take a flight Tuesday afternoon, just to give them more time to spend together.

Tuesday nights until Finn arrived on Friday night were easily the worst part of the week for them and they'd driven up insane phone bills spending hours on the phone until their phones died or Rachel had to go on stage, whichever came first. Even then, she'd hand the phone to a crew member while she was on stage, letting Finn hear the show and simply resume their conversation as soon as she came off stage. Once the show was over, he'd stay on the phone with her while she made her way home so they could get ready for bed together.

Fortunately, this had only lasted until Carole took pity on her son and offered Finn her credit card mileage points to use for plane tickets, which gave them much more time to spend together. _That_ had only lasted until Finn resigned his teaching position and moved with Vincent to New York.

Right into her apartment.

She twisted the antique ring on her left hand, a smile on her face at the thought of how she'd acquired it.

"_Finn?" she called out into the apartment, greeting Vincent who'd ambled out into the hallway, a stuffed monkey in his mouth. She placed her bag on the hall table and hung up her coat, crouching down to give Vincent an affectionate head rub, pleased to see that he was still wearing the polka dotted bow tie she'd put on him that morning._

"_In here, babe!"_

_She followed his voice to find him in the living room, sketching in one of his many sketch books. He glanced up at her as she came in, smiling that special smile he reserved for her, his hand sketching furiously as he glanced between her and the paper._

"_What are you doing, Finny?" she asked suspiciously as she came over to get her welcome home kiss. Vincent followed behind her, heading for his dog bed next to Finn's chair._

"_Just working on something." He closed the book before she could see anything, letting her settle into his lap before he placed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. "How was rehearsal?"_

"_Amazing. I still can't believe I'm in a starring role now." She snuggled into him, temporarily distracted from wanting to know what he was doing. _

_She'd spent the three weeks Jesse had blocked off for the wedding and honeymoon with Finn in Ohio, and not long after she'd gotten back to New York, Rachel had auditioned for the musical Showboat, earning a position as the understudy for the role of Julie. Once the contract for the actress playing Julie had expired, Rachel had been promoted to the main cast, stepping into the role of Julie full time. Her entire family, along with Burt, Carole, Kurt and Blaine, had been there for her first performance and as she sang Julie's famous "Can't Help Loving Dat Man," her mind kept wandering back to the enormous bouquet of Stargazer Lilies that had arrived in her dressing room before the show, accompanied by a large stuffed Smurf. She knew the source of the flowers was sitting out in the audience and the thought made her pour more emotion into the song, particularly when she got to the line "home without him ain't no home to me."_

"_I got us dinner. It's in the kitchen. Why don't you get it and bring it in here?" he asked, wanting to get back to his sketch._

_Rachel quirked an eyebrow at him as she climbed off of his lap. "Are you trying to get rid of me? I won't look at whatever you're working on, I promise. I know how you hate that."_

"_Thank you, baby." He watched her go into the kitchen before he pulled the book back out, filling in the last key parts of the sketch with his colored pencils. Once he was satisfied, he placed the book in the special box he'd gift wrapped, dropping the present onto the floor next to Vincent. She returned a few minutes later food in hand, handing him his food before settling onto the couch opposite Finn. He waited until she was just about done with her dinner before he cleared his throat. "Babe? You know what today is?"_

_She beamed at him. "Of course I do! It's our eight month anniversary. Why do you think Vincent has a bowtie on?" _

"_And here I thought Vince was just channeling his inner Kurt with that bowtie on," Finn joked nervously, coming over to sit on the couch next to her, his hands behind his back._

"_What are you doing?" Rachel asked curiously as he held out the box, wanting to get it over with. "Did you buy me something pretty?"_

"_Not exactly."_

_She pulled the cover off the box, looking up at Finn. "The Story of Us?"_

"_Mmm-hmm. Open it up."_

_She did as requested, laughing when she saw the inscription. "For Rachel, who took a chance on me, even if my mom didn't name me Sam."_

_He laughed along, watching as she examined the picture he'd drawn underneath of a fortune cookie, the name Sam Evans sticking out of it. "Turn the page."_

_She turned the page to find a sketch of her younger self sitting on Nana's lap, a young Noah hanging onto the arm of the couch, matchbox car in one hand. "Finn! This is amazing!"_

_He blushed. If she thought that was amazing, he could hardly wait till she got further into the book. "Read it aloud."_

"_Serendipity: Look for something, find something else and realize what you've found is better than what you thought you were looking for," she read aloud. "I can't believe you did this!"_

_Finn ran a hand through his hair, beginning to get more nervous with each page. "You can't have the story of us without going back to where it all started right?"_

_Rachel stared at him for a moment, biting her lip as she turned the page and took in the next sketch of her eight year old self resplendent in her party dress and curls. An eight year old Brittany was next to her, both paying rapt attention to Madame Serena who had a thought bubble coming out of her mouth announcing that Sam Evans was Rachel's soul mate. He'd even drawn in an eight year old Noah peeking through the tent flap, a scowl on his face. "Those are the exact dresses Brits and I wore! How did you know?"_

"_Your dad showed me pictures last time we were at their house."_

_Speechless, she leaned over to kiss him in __**that**__ way which he knew meant she was seriously getting in the mood. Ordinarily, he'd be halfway to the bedroom with her in his arms after that kiss, but this time he was on a mission. He pulled away from her, directing her to finish looking through the book. _

_She obeyed, sitting cross legged as she turned the page to see the sketch of the fateful Chinese restaurant lunch, followed by her, Brittany and Noah reading their fortunes. The two pages after that showed her and Brittany in college, looking for Sam. Each page was accompanied by either a song quote or a lyric that represented the sketch. _

"_Oh, that's you!" she exclaimed when she saw the next sketch, labeled 'Meanwhile, over in Ohio…'. He'd drawn in the fateful family dinner where he'd been tricked into coming to Italy with Kurt. Her finger traced over the image of him sitting at the table, surrounded by his favorite foods, a fork poised halfway between his mouth and plate, his face an expression of shock. "Was that the dinner?"_

"_Yeah. I think that's about what my face looked like. I was so pissed, but Blaine falling down the stairs was the best thing that ever happened to me."_

_She beamed at him, flashing that smile he loved so much. "I think so too."_

_He'd thoughtfully left out the Jesse times, since the next sketch was of a now adult Rachel and Brittany at the airport hearing the name Sam Evans, accompanied by lyrics from "Haven't Met You Yet." A turn of the page revealed a sketch of her, Brittany and Quinn on the plane, thought bubbles discussing Sam. The sketch started bringing back a flood of memories, but it wasn't until she got to the sketch of her sleeping on the plane, dreaming of what Sam looked like, that she read the next song lyrics aloud. _

"_I knew I loved you before I met you. I think I dreamed you into life," she read aloud, staring up at him and his amber eyes. She'd told him all about that silly dream of meeting him at the baggage claim and he'd obviously remembered it._

_Her eyes starting to mist over as she turned the page, gasping as she took in the moment they first saw each other, letting the tears really start forming. He'd done side by side views, his view of her on the left and her view of him on the right, each showing how intently they were staring at each other. Underneath, he'd written the lyrics to the song "Two is Better than One."_

"_I remember what you wore the first day/You came into my life and I thought "Hey"/ You know, this could be something." She read the words aloud, running a finger over the picture. "That's a very apt quote."_

"_I know, but keep going." He was anxious for her to keep moving through the book, wanting her to get to the good part. _

_Rachel glanced at him curiously, but did as requested, oohing and ahhing over each picture as it told the story of their time in Italy and subsequently, Ohio and New York._

_His anxiety grew when she __**finally**__ turned the last page. His eyes watched her intently as he quietly got down on one knee, waiting until she made the connection. Her eyes grew wide as she looked at the picture and then up at him. _

_He'd drawn himself proposing to her, down on one knee in front of the couch as the book lay forgotten in her lap. Wanting the picture to be as accurate as possible, he'd waited until she'd come home today to sketch and color in the clothing she was wearing. His own clothing, as well as Vincent's bowtie, he'd drawn in at work earlier that day._

_Rachel's eyes continued to flicker between the picture and Finn, her mouth forming a perfect O. Grinning nervously, he took one of her hands in his. "Um. I've never done this before, so I apologize in advance if it totally sucks. I told you once that I'd do it privately, and well now I'm really really glad I did because this is super nerve-racking," he rambled, nerves getting the better of him._

"_Finn," Rachel prompted, her smile growing wider._

"_Right. So eight months ago, I was stuck on a gay tour of Italy, furious at my mom for tricking me into going as Blaine's substitute. Other than avoiding the girls the men on the tour found for me, the trip was uneventful…until I got to Rome. I stepped out of an elevator and my life changed for the better because I saw this incredibly sexy woman staring at me and I __**knew**__. I knew that she'd be an important part of my life, a feeling that only grew stronger with each passing moment and I knew that I'd found everything I was looking for."_

_He fumbled in his pocket for a moment as Rachel watched, her eyes growing teary. Shyly, he held out a ring box, opening it to show her. His clumsiness chose to make an appearance at that moment, since his shaking fingers dropped the ring box. Horrified, he leaned forward to pick it up just as Rachel did, causing their foreheads to crash into each other. Rachel yelped in pain, her free hand coming up to grab her head while Finn scrambled to get the ring box from off the floor, ignoring his own pain._

_Sheepishly, he held out the box to her once again. "Umm…that little act of clumsiness aside, will you marry me?"_

"_Yes!" she cried without hesitation, leaning forward to kiss him as hard as she could. She separated from him long enough to let him slide the ring onto her finger. Unlike the last ring she'd worn on that finger, this one felt right. It reminded her of Nana's ring, the way the single Asscher cut stone was set on an art deco band of platinum. Rather than be a plain band, the band got wider and thinner creating a repeated football shape, adding an artistic element that she was sure must have appealed to Finn._

_He sighed in relief as he hugged her, placing a gentle kiss where she'd hit her head. He joined her on the couch, smiling as she admired her ring. "I thought about doing it in a rowboat, but considering that I dropped the ring here, we would've totally ended up in the water."_

_She laughed, giving him another kiss as she climbed into his lap. "Well, we've already done the whole falling out of a rowboat thing, so I think this was the perfect proposal from the perfect guy."_

"_I'd hardly call giving you a concussion as I proposed perfect," he observed, his eyes noticing the bruise already forming on her forehead._

_She leaned her forehead against his. "Baby, trust me. It was perfect because it came from you."_

Smiling at the memory, she walked back into her hotel room. It had taken them all of about two seconds to decide that the wedding should be where it all began, and this time around, wedding planning was an absolute joy. Every decision had been made together and unlike last time, the wedding was going to be a small, intimate affair, with people she actually knew attending.

The cell phone on her bed beeped and she dove for it, eagerly opening the message from Finn that had just come through.

_**Hope you like them.**_

She was rereading the text again, trying to figure out what she missed when a knock sounded on her door. "Rachel! Time to get up!"

Still puzzling over the message, she opened the door slightly and walked back over to bed, more concerned with the meaning of the message than with whatever Kurt wanted.

"Ahem."

Startled, she looked up and the meaning of Finn's message immediately became clear. In Kurt's hands was an enormous bouquet of Stargazer Lilies, along with a small box. "Are those for me?"

"Of course. Is Finn marrying anyone else?" he asked as he handed her the bouquet.

"He better not be." She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of the fresh flowers. "What's that?"

"I've been sent to deliver this." He held out the box enticingly.

Her eyes lit up as she took the box, trying to guess what Finn might have gotten her as a wedding gift. She made quick work of the wrapping paper (which she was sure either Kurt or Carole had done for him) and tore off the lid, revealing a small jewelry box resting on top of something covered in tissue paper. She placed the box down on the bed, deciding to open the jewelry box first and gasping when she realized the box contained a pair of simple diamond drop earrings.

"Aren't they fabulous?" Kurt chirped. "They'll go perfectly with your dress."

"I love them," she declared, running a finger over one and trying not to cry.

"Open the other thing; I want to see what it is. Finn was very secretive about it, he wouldn't let me see it," Kurt directed.

She nodded, turning her attention to the item covered in tissue paper, noticing an envelope on top of it for the first time. She opened the envelope to reveal a card with a hand drawn sketch of Amalfi on it. Smiling, she opened the card to see Finn's familiar scratchy handwriting.

_**To my Broadway babe: When I saw these I thought of you and how they'd be your perfect something new (Kurt approved, too), although I still like my other idea ;). I'm so excited to see you walk down the aisle. Until then you can look at my other present and think of me.**_

_**-Finn**_

She reread the words a few times before excitement got the better of her and she lunged for the tissue paper. Speechless, she pulled out an 8 x 10 canvas, holding it up to show Kurt. Finn had painstakingly created an oil painting of Rachel's favorite picture of them, the one by the waterfall. She never failed to marvel at his talent but this left her truly without words. Immediately, she propped the painting up on the bureau so she could see it all day while she was getting ready.

Satisfied at its placement, she turned to Kurt. She pointed to a large flat package on a nearby table. "I need you to bring something to Finn."

Kurt eyed the package. "Is that a bag of _gummi worms _attached to that package?"

"Yup." She nodded proudly. "Actually, those are gummi Smurfs."

She'd thought long and hard about what to get him for a wedding gift and while she wanted him to have something to wear on his wedding day that would serve as a reminder every day after, she also wanted something that would have sentimental meaning to only the two of them. She'd finally settled on a watch for him to wear and after a tedious online search and several visits to art galleries, she'd managed to get her hands on an original production cel from _The Little Mermaid_, depicting Ariel and Eric holding hands in the row boat. It had cost her a lot of money, but she felt it was symbolic of their relationship, since like Ariel and Eric, they'd started to fall in love in a row boat. "Give him that, along with this."

She thrust a gift bag containing his watch and his card into Kurt's hand and smiled, knowing that hidden all the way at the bottom of the bag underneath all the tissue paper were a few bottles of edible body paint, something she _knew_ the artist in Finn would appreciate using later tonight.

"Fine. I'll be back after I get Finn dressed. Brittany and Quinn are on their way and they're bringing breakfast for you," Kurt announced, picking the package up off the table.

"I don't want to eat, I want to get married," Rachel replied, practically dancing in place at the thought. She sent off a text to Finn telling him how much she loved her presents and telling him as cryptically as she could to look underneath the tissue paper.

"Well you can't just yet, since you insisted on getting married at exactly 4:15 for some reason," Kurt answered, still not quite sure about the reasoning for that. "And it's only 10:00."

"I'll have you know that exactly one year ago today, at approximately 4:15, give or take a few minutes, Finn and I shared our _moment. _It was the first time I ever saw him."

"_Aww_!" The romantic in Kurt overrode his practical side for a second. "Nevertheless, you'll have to wait until 4:15 to see him again. The photographer will be here at 11, so once I get Finn dressed; one photographer will start taking pictures down by the rocks and the other places you wanted of the groom, groomsman and family, while the other will be with you. Then, when you're ready, we'll switch and do the same for you, ok?"

"Aye aye, Captain." She threw him a salute. "How's Finn doing?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I caught him trying to sneak out of the room twice last night to come find you."

"Really?" She bit her lip in amusement, knowing that his sneaking out probably had something to do with the fact that she'd cut him off to make their wedding night more special. They'd arrived in Italy one week ago and he'd been trying every night since to get her to break her rule and recreate their first time on the beach. She had every intention of recreating that night, but not until after the wedding.

"He came up with the stupidest excuses too, like the fact that he wanted to see if you had better water pressure in your room than he did." He rolled his eyes at Finn's lame reasons for needing to see Rachel just as Brittany and Quinn, holding Beth, came into the room, followed by Carole, Nana and Noah's sister Sarah, Rachel's third bridesmaid.

"Rachel, I just saw Kayla. She said they're going to start with Carole, since she's going to be needed for pictures with Finn first. That way you can eat," Quinn announced, placing Beth on the ground. The toddler immediately walked confidently over to Nana, who picked her up.

Rachel squealed at the sight of all of them, knowing that it was time for hair and makeup. Thanks to Jesse's insistence on that Vera Wang wedding dress, Rachel had had more than enough money from the sale of the gown to fly Kayla and Monique, the two women who normally handled her hair and makeup for special events like the Tonys that her new role as Julie required her to go to, over to Italy for what would easily be the most important event she'd ever go to.

Carole started pushing Kurt towards the door. "Kurt, you're the Best Man, so go round up Finn and make sure he and Burt and the boys shower and dress correctly."

She managed to push him out the door, despite his protests just as Kayla and Monique arrived. They got to work on Carole immediately, while Rachel, Nana, Quinn, Beth and Brittany settled on the bed, chatting and eating the breakfast Brittany had brought.

"Can you believe it's finally here?" Rachel squealed, too excited to eat. "These past four months have just gone so slow!"

"I can't believe that a year ago today we were on a plane to Italy because you were unhappy and didn't want to admit it," Brittany replied, taking a bite of her pastry.

"Don't remind me." She rolled her eyes. "It was bad enough having to see Jesse at the Tonys a few weeks ago. I was surprised that he was even invited since _The Music Man _closed already and he hasn't been cast in anything new, but it turns out he was there with his new girlfriend, an understudy in _Mary Poppins._ He was trying to talk up my director for a role in _Showboat_."

"Did you talk to him?"

"No. I felt my performance of _Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man_ on the Tony stage for Best Revival spoke for itself. Finn told me that Jesse was seeing red," Rachel said smugly. "He was sitting near us unfortunately."

"Rachel, hurry up and shower because I want to get started on you," Kayla directed, sweeping some eye shadow onto Carole's closed eyes.

Rachel nodded excitedly as she climbed off the bed, practically doing a dance.

"Excited much?" Quinn teased, bouncing Beth on her lap.

"Not even the fact that Sue Sylvester is here could put a damper on my mood," Rachel called over her shoulder as she went into the bathroom.

"I still can't believe Aunt Sue is here," Quinn muttered. "She's unbelievable."

Rachel laughed to herself as she turned on the shower. Sue showing up had thrown them for a loop, but in a way, it was really only fitting that she was here.

"_See, Rachel?" Finn asked as they strode out onto the pool deck. Quinn, Beth and Puck were already in the pool, while Brittany, Artie and Luca were over by the bar. "Nobody even noticed we weren't here."_

"_As far as we know, Finn. Do you not remember what happened last year?" Rachel demanded as she led him over to a beach chair. _

"_How could I forget? I actually got this insanely sexy girl to have sex on the beach," he teased, sitting on the chair and pulling her down with him. "Maybe I should find her, since you won't have sex with me."_

"_Did I or did I not let you make out with me just now and make us late for the pool?" Rachel questioned, rummaging through her bag for her sun block. _

"_Yeah, but over the shirt, no biting or nipping, no marking of any kind," he pouted, reciting her rules._

"_Come Saturday night, I promise you an all access pass," Rachel assured him. "Here Finn. Let me put the sun screen on you."_

"_I'm fine Rach. I'm just going in the pool," Finn insisted. "Look Puck's already in the pool with Quinn."_

"_Finn. I am __**not**__ marrying a lobster on Saturday. Sit still so I can put this on you," she directed. Obediently, he pulled off his shirt. Despite his initial reluctance, he enjoyed every second of Rachel running her hands over his chest as she covered him with the sun block and it just made him more eager for their wedding night. "All done."_

_He turned just in time to see his bride to be shimmying out of her cover up. He didn't know if she did it on purpose, but she had put on one of his favorite bikinis of hers, even if it didn't have ties on the side that he could pull._

_Rachel was also staring down at her bikini, a frown on her face. The triangle top and ruffled bottom was patterned in pink and purple flowers, accented by black straps covered with white polka dots that tied around her neck and back while one of the ruffles was done in the same polka dotted pattern. She frowned again as she handed him the bottle and sat in front of him on the chair. "I probably shouldn't have worn this top. I'm going to have lines."_

"_Yeah? You going topless again?" he asked hopefully as he began spreading sun block on her back. If she was going to deny him sex, at least if she went topless he could ogle her. Forgetting about the sun block, he placed a few kisses on her neck, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Need me to untie?"_

_Rachel giggled, tilting her head as he hugged her close and continued kissing her neck. "Finn! No!"_

"_Come on babe, one little mark," he murmured against her neck as his hand moved up to discreetly slide a finger under her bikini top. "It could be your something new."_

"_Finn! No!" Rachel cried with significantly less conviction than before since the finger was now stroking her breast lightly. "Stop!"_

_Finn ignored her, continuing to kiss her neck. "Stop what? I'm not doing anything. I'm just kissing my fiancée's neck."_

_She squealed a little, turning her head to look at him and capturing his lips in a kiss. She gave a small mewl when she felt him reciprocate by trying to slip his tongue in her mouth. Forgetting temporarily about her surroundings, she turned in his arms, still kissing him as she maneuvered her body to face his. Her arms wrapped around his neck, while his own moved to grip her butt._

"_Well if it isn't Porno Patty and her boyfriend Sir Moons-a-lot."_

_The unwelcomed voice stopped them in their tracks. Breaking apart, they turned to see Sue Sylvester, arms crossed as she glared at them. _

"_Hello, Sue. How nice to see you here," Rachel said pleasantly, determined to put the past behind her._

"_Wish I could say the same, Deep Throat. Imagine my surprise when I show up for a well deserved rest, only to find out that the entire hotel is booked with a wedding," Sue replied, gagging a little at the thought._

"_That would be __**our**__ wedding," Finn announced proudly, giving Rachel's temple a kiss. "We're getting married on-"_

"_Let me stop you right there, Seymour Butts," Sue retorted, holding up a hand. "Does this look like the face of someone who cares?"_

"_Well…"_

"_Because it's not. There's only one thing Sue Sylvester cares about and that's Sue Sylvester. But you two sex fiends better take a good look at this face anyway," she replied, making a circling motion around her face._

"_And why is that, Sue?" Rachel asked in spite of herself._

"_Glad you asked, Lady Loose Legs. The second I found out that you two were here, I took the liberty of calling my friends in the surveillance dept of the local precinct. As of 0500 hours, the area below my balcony is now equipped with the latest high tech alarm equipment, so you two so much as remove a sock and the electrical wires running under the sand will give you a better charge than __**he**__ ever could. Consider yourselves warned." She stormed off, screaming about the wedding decorations being put up._

"_We are __**so**__ testing her surveillance equipment," Finn whispered in Rachel's ear._

_She grinned at him, placing a kiss on his lips. "You know it."_

She was just stepping out of the shower when a knock sounded on her door. "Rachel are you ready? I want to get started on your makeup, since Carole's is done," Kayla called through the door.

"I'm coming now!" she called back, quickly putting on the special lingerie she needed for under her dress as well as her bathrobe. She flung the door open in her excitement and looked at Carole, who was now getting the finishing touches put on her hair. "Oh, Carole! You look wonderful!"

Carole stood up. "Rachel, I'm going to go put on my dress and find Finny to take pictures but is there anything you'd like me to tell him?"

"Just that I love him and can't wait to see him waiting for me at the end of the aisle." She grinned at the thought, hugging herself in happiness as she sat in the chair Kayla gestured to. Beside her, Monique was getting to work on Brittany's hair.

"I'll be sure to pass on the message," Carole promised. "Let me go get dressed before Kurt has a fit that we're not running on schedule."

Rachel nodded as she left, unable to do anything else since Kayla was currently applying her foundation. Her eyes followed Nana, who'd gotten off the bed and was now fingering Rachel's dress, which was hanging from one of the balcony doors. She waited until Kayla had put down the foundation to rummage through her train case before she called out to Nana. "Do you like it?"

"Oh, Rachel, it looks amazing," Nana breathed. "I can't believe that's my dress."

"I know! It came out fantastic," Rachel replied, beaming. "I still can't believe you gave it to me."

_"Nana? We're here!" Rachel called out, letting herself and Finn into the house._

_Nana popped her head out of the kitchen. "Oh, Rachel you're here! Joe! Finn's here!" _

_She hugged each of them tightly just as Grandpa came out of the family room and made a beeline for Finn. "I've been waiting for you, Finn. Noah's already here and he's trying to tell me that the only way the Rangers will make the playoffs is if they trade for a power forward and get rid of Avery. I need someone else to point out how insane that is."_

_Finn laughed. "No problem."_

_"Have fun, baby." Rachel pulled his face down to hers for a quick kiss before he was led away by Grandpa._

_"I'm so glad you came early, Rachel. I have something I want to show you."_

_Mystified, Rachel followed Nana up to the spare room. "What do you have to show me?"_

_"This."_

_Rachel gasped as Nana lifted the lid off of a box, revealing the wedding dress she'd worn over 60 years earlier. "That's your wedding dress!"_

_Nana nodded, fingering the satin lovingly. "I want you to have it."_

_"What? I can't wear your dress! It contains your memories!" Rachel exclaimed, watching as Nana pulled the dress out of the box. The simple long-sleeved satin gown was fitted on top with a V-shaped neckline before flowing out from the waist. She eyed the puffed sleeves curiously, wondering what Kurt would say if he saw them._

_Nana nodded firmly. "It's just a dress, Rachel. I have my memories in my head. I want you to take the dress and make it into what you want, something I'm sure Kurt could help you with."_

_"Really?" she asked. "You wouldn't mind if we cut it up?"_

_"Not at all. The material can be your something old."_

_"Well, if you sure." Rachel's eyes were shining at the thought of wearing something so steeped in family history._

_"Absolutely." She placed the dress back in the box. "I married my soul mate in that dress. It's only fitting that you marry yours in it."_

The dress had come out beyond anything Rachel had ever dreamed. Kurt had been ecstatic about creating a wedding dress, working on sketch after sketch of potential designs with her. Once they'd settled on a design, Rachel had taken the dress and the sketch to a seamstress who'd taken Nana's dress and made it into Rachel's dream dress.

Gone were the long puffy sleeves and simple waist, for Nana's dress had been transformed into an slim A-line gown. The V-neck had shoulder straps that grew thinner as they met the low cut back which now had a corset. Influenced by the Greeks, Kurt had designed the dress so that the material pulled asymmetrically to one side of the gown, anchored by a large jeweled brooch on the side hip while Nana's long cathedral train had been cut down to a modern semi cathedral train. In honor of Nana, Rachel had chosen to leave Nana's cathedral length veil as is, excited to see Nana's face when she realized it.

"How are you doing your hair, Rachel?" Brittany asked, pulling Rachel out of her thoughts as Monique began using the curling iron on her long blonde hair.

"Well even though Finn loves my hair down, it's going to be up to showcase the dress," she replied, her eyes closed as Kayla applied her eye shadow. "I'll just make it up to Finn tonight."

"Going to test out the toilet seat in the Honeymoon Suite?" Brittany commented slyly.

"Brits!" Rachel hissed, horrified at the thought that Nana might've heard that. She snuck a quick peek at Nana, but fortunately she was busy reading a board book to Beth. "That was a secret!"

Brittany laughed. "Rachel, everyone knows about it. In fact, once Artie heard about it, he wanted to try it. And well, here we are." She placed a hand on the baby bump just beginning to show.

"Speaking of sex, what do you think Giulia is going to be wearing?" Quinn asked, laughing at the thought.

"As long as it's not white and halfway decent, I'm ok with it," Rachel replied, shuddering at the idea. "I almost died when she showed up at the rehearsal dinner with Sam last night."

_Rachel beamed looking around as she looked around the outdoor restaurant. Antonia had really done an amazing job decorating, with little twinkle lights strung up everywhere, adding even more romance to the already romantic setting._

_"Rachel, this place is amazing! I'm so glad you and Finny decided to get married here!" Carole gushed as she accepted a drink from a passing waiter, Burt doing the same beside her._

_"Isn't it? This is really the only place that Finn and I could see ourselves getting married in. After all, it's where it really all began." She smiled at her future in-laws. "I hope you liked Capri today. We tried to hit all the spots on this trip that we went to last time."_

_"It was lovely. That boat ride was amazing."_

_Just like last time, they'd hired a boat to take them around the island, but __**unlike**__ last time, there was no one Rachel despised crashing the trip. It had simply been a great way for the families to mingle and relax before the big day, although to Finn's disappointment, Rachel had kept her top on the entire time. Rachel had watched from the comfort of Finn's arms as her daddy danced with Carole, who couldn't stop laughing. The whole thing seemed so natural and she marveled at how she could have ever settled for anything else._

_Rachel smiled, about to agree when she noticed Burt staring at something near the door, his eyes wide._

_"Who's that talking to Finn?" he asked, not moving his eyes from the door._

_Rachel followed his gaze, immediately rolling her eyes. "__**That**__ is Giulia, the woman who was after Finn."_

_Burt whistled softly, earning the ire of Carole. "That girl puts it all out there, doesn't she?"_

_"That she does. The man next to her is Sam Evans." She took in Giulia's short navy blue sequined mini dress with a black belt situated just under her ample chest and she frowned as Giulia hugged Finn, pressing her chest against him. He broke away from her quickly, pointing in Rachel's direction before turning to Sam. "Uh oh. Here she comes."_

_"Rachele!" Giulia called out, heading towards her._

_"Hello, Giulia." She waited until Giulia was in front of her before introducing Burt and Carole. "Giulia, I'd like you to meet Finn's mother Carole and-"_

_"You are la madre of Finn?" Giulia asked immediately. "The face of Finn is very handsome, I think."_

_"Why thank you." Carole exchanged looks of amusement with Rachel._

_Giulia meanwhile, had turned her attention to Burt. Rachel eyed her warily, recognizing the fact that Giulia had morphed into maneater mode. "Rachele, chi è questo?" _

_"This is Burt, Finn's step-father." She watched with annoyance as Giulia's hand automatically came up to rest on Burt's arm._

_"Burt," she purred as she turned back to Carole. "The hands of Burt are very large, I like. Is very good for the sex. You have the s-"_

_"Right. Giulia have you seen Kurt? He's been looking for you and he's right over there," Rachel cut in, knowing that Giulia was about to ask her future mother-in-law about having "the sex" with Burt._

_Giulia nodded and bounced over to Kurt just as Finn came over with Sam. Finn's hand automatically slipped around Rachel's waist as he gave her a light kiss. "Look who I found, babe."_

_"Sam!" Rachel cried happily, breaking away from Finn to hug him. "I'm so glad you could make it. How's Nashville?"_

_"Like I would miss this?" he teased. "And Nashville is good, no one is impressed by my name though."_

_Rachel laughed, smacking his chest lightly. "Are you the one who brought Giulia?"_

_"Of course. Finn won't have the sex with her, so someone has to."_

_"Well, you may have some competition," Rachel announced, wrapping her arms around Finn. "She was just inquiring about the sex with Burt."_

_"Seriously?" Finn asked, wrinkling his nose._

_"Hey, I'm quite the stud. Your mom was lucky to get me," Burt retorted, laughing. _

_Carole laughed also, lightly smacking Burt's arm. "Keep it up and I'll let Giulia have you."_

"That reminds me. Someone has to be on Giulia duty, make sure that she doesn't do anything inappropriate and stays away from Burt while someone else needs to be on Sue Sylvester duty. She's already threatened to object when the officiant asks, on the grounds that public fornicators should not be allowed to marry each other." She blushed, remembering too late that Nana was still in the room.

"Puck's already on it. He stole her branding iron yesterday and since she's been on the warpath looking for it, he's arranged for her to 'interrogate' a few men down at the precinct during the ceremony. She'll be thrilled," Quinn assured her, handing Beth her juice.

"Oh thank God," Rachel replied as Kayla finished her makeup. "I was having nightmares about it."

"Don't worry Rachel. We've got it covered. You just concentrate on getting married," Brittany assured her as Monique handed her a mirror to check out her hair. She examined herself critically, pronouncing herself satisfied with the elegant side ponytail. Kayla and Monique simply switched places, beginning to work on the hair of Rachel and the makeup of Brittany, while the girls chatted happily.

Kurt texted Rachel's cell phone frequently, demanding status updates and photos to be sent for approval. Rachel ignored his texts, only caring about one particular text which informed her that the sender of the text was looking forward to creating a new masterpiece tonight entitled _The Wedding Night._ She grinned at the text. Finn had obviously done as instructed and looked under the tissue paper to find the edible body paint and she couldn't _wait_ to see what he did with them.

The stylists worked tirelessly and eventually Rachel, Nana and the entire bridal party were resplendent in Kurt approved hair and makeup. Even baby Beth had gotten her hair done, Monique having gathered Beth's blonde hair into a high pony tail and curled it, adding a large bow for effect. The photographer had started coming in and taking pictures of the preparations, as well as Rachel's dress and each click of the camera caused Rachel's excitement to grow.

"Rachel, I think it's time for you to get in your dress," Brittany announced, her own short aqua chiffon dress already on. Beside her, Quinn and Sarah, wearing the same dress as Brittany, each nodded. Kayla and Monique left to go get themselves ready, leaving Rachel and the girls to get her dress on.

Rachel squealed in excitement, dropping her bathrobe in preparation. Carefully, Brittany took the dress off the hanger, loosening the corset. Quinn helped Brittany lower the dress over Rachel's head and fitted in in place as Brittany tightened the corset back up.

Rachel ran over to the full length mirror, gasping when she saw herself as a bride for the first time. "My veil. Get my veil."

Quinn brought out Nana's veil, sticking it onto the back of Rachel's hair. "There. You're officially ready to get married."

Nana, already in her own silver gown with the lace bolero jacket, looked up from trying to wrestle Beth into her Flower Girl dress at Quinn's words. She placed a hand on her chest. "Oh, Rachel! Is that...?"

Rachel nodded happily as she looked at her reflection. The cathedral veil flowed down Rachel's back and past her dress, stopping about a foot after the train of her dress. "It's your veil, Nana."

Nana came to stand behind her, gazing at her reflection, tears in her eyes. "Rachel, you look gorgeous. Finn's not going to know what hit him."

The photographer, who'd been taking pictures of the bouquets looked up. "If we're ready, I'd like to start taking pictures. The groom has been hidden away so you don't have worry about being spotted."

Rachel nodded, following the photographer down to the rocks where Finn and his groomsmen had already taken their pictures. Finally after taking what felt like thousands of pictures with her family and bridal party, the photographer pronounced them done and almost before she knew it, she was lined up behind Sarah, Quinn and Brittany in the hallway outside the garden, a father on each arm. The familiar music started playing and one by one her bridesmaids disappeared, leaving her with her fathers.

"Walk me down the aisle, Daddy? It's just about time," she asked, quoting the song she'd be dancing to with her fathers later.

"You sure, Princess?" Hiram asked. "You don't need a moment or anything?"

"I've never been more ready, Daddy." She took a deep breath. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Finn adjusted his tie nervously as he watched his mom and Burt walk down aisle and take their seats. He'd never been more nervous in his life yet he was also strangely calm at the same time. He adjusted the white tie for the umpteenth time.<p>

"If you touch that tie one more time, I will personally ruin your wedding night by having a camp out in the honeymoon suite," Kurt hissed from his position next to Finn. Like Finn, he was dressed in a dark grey Prada suit, although his tie was the same color as the bridesmaid's dresses.

Finn gulped, knowing Kurt was serious. He glanced at his other groomsmen, Artie, Puck and Blaine, wondering if they'd been this nervous on their own wedding days. Figuring now wasn't the time to ask, he let his eyes roam over the intimate garden area that overlooked the sea far below. They'd been given the choice of where to hold the ceremony and Rachel had been adamant about using this garden, even though he secretly liked the restaurant better. Rachel had been right to insist, since the gazebo he was currently standing in front of was decorated with white tulle and flowers, a nice contrast to brilliant blue sky and the darker sea behind him.

The aisle was strewn with rose petals and the forty-five guests were sitting on wicker chairs decorated with aqua colored bows that Luca and his girlfriend Bianca had put on as a surprise for Rachel. He smiled nervously as he saw Sam and Giulia sitting near the front and taking his picture, but it was the person sitting just behind Sam that really caught his attention.

"_Are you ready to go, baby? We have to meet everyone in thirty minutes," Rachel asked, examining her outfit in the mirror. She twirled around, letting Finn get the full effect of her black dress. "What do you think? It's our first night in Rome, so I wanted to dress up a little. Feel free to tell me I look amazing."_

_Finn stared at her from his position on the bed, his back propped up against the headboard. He sat up quickly. "Do you have a green dress?"_

_The question caught Rachel off guard and she stared at him in surprise. "I do, actually. Why?"_

"_I want you to wear it tonight," Finn said determinedly._

"_But I'm already dressed in this! Kurt picked out all my outfits for the trip and he'll be-" Rachel protested, her words cut off by Finn._

"_Please baby?" He turned his best puppy dog eyes loose on her, knowing she'd cave._

"_Fine," Rachel said crossly. "Can you unzip me?"_

_He unzipped her dress, his eyes following her every move as she let the black dress fall off her body and rummaged through her suitcase for the green one in nothing but her lingerie, a sight very much enjoyed by Finn. She pulled out the green dress, stepped into it and turned her back to Finn. "Zip."_

_Sadly, he zipped the dress up, the lingerie he liked so much disappearing from his view. He placed a kiss on Rachel's neck, careful not to leave a mark of any kind, Rachel's threat to castrate him if he marked her in any way before the wedding still fresh in his mind._

"_Better?" she asked, twirling around again. The full skirt flared out around her, making Finn tempted to reach over and unzip the dress again._

"_Much." He led her out of the room by her hand, leading her past the lobby and into a waiting cab._

"_Finn, what are you doing? The restaurant is right down the block!"_

"_We have to make a stop first," he announced as the cab sped through the streets of Rome._

"_Eccola," the cabbie announced. "La Fontana di Trevi."_

_Excitedly, Finn got out, leading a bewildered Rachel down the street towards the fountain._

"_Finn! What's going on?"_

"_There's someone I want you to meet." He paused, looking around the crowded fountain. His eyes fell on a familiar bench and he eagerly dragged Rachel over to it._

_Rachel followed along, not quite sure why Finn was dragging her towards the bench, especially since it was occupied by an old man which meant that there wasn't enough room for both of them to sit._

_To her surprise, the old man's face lit up when he recognized Finn. "È Finn!"_

_Finn hugged him tightly. "Enrico! I was hoping you'd be here!"_

_Rachel watched this exchange, momentarily confused until she remembered what Finn had told her about escaping to Rome. He'd spoken of a man at the Trevi Fountain almost reverently, regretting every day that he never got to tell Enrico that it had all worked out and they were back together._

_Enrico turned his attention to Rachel. "Questa è Rachel, sì?"_

"_This is the girl I told you about. Rachel," Finn announced proudly, placing a hand on the small of her back and pushing her forward._

"_È bellissima!" Enrico declared as he swept her into a hug. "I hear all about you from Finn."_

"_Well, I've heard all about you too," Rachel replied with a smile as Finn's hand found its rightful place in hers. "I can't thank you enough for helping Finn and sending him back to me."_

"_It wasn't me. It was the fountain. He throw the coins," Enrico said firmly._

"_The coins?" Rachel asked curiously, looking from Finn to Enrico._

"_Yeah, throw one coin you come back to Rome, throw two coins you find true love," Finn explained. "It's totally true, since that's what happened. Although I threw three coins not two so maybe that's why."_

"_No, three coins is very special," Enrico insisted. "I tell you the last time."_

"_Yeah, but you never said what it's for, only that you use it when you've met your match," he insisted._

"_Why you come back to Italy? You throw the coin, you come back, but for what?" Enrico asked; smiling at Rachel as his eyes traveled down to her hand._

_Finn smiled proudly, picking up Rachel's hand to show Enrico the engagement ring residing there. "We're getting married."_

_Enrico beamed. "Meraviglioso! I tell you the third coin, è molto importante."_

_Rachel smiled, catching on, but Finn still looked confused. "What am I missing?"_

"_Baby, if one coin brings you back to Rome and two coins means you find true love, three coins must mean you'll marry your soul mate," Rachel explained, squeezing his hand. She turned to Enrico. "Am I right?"_

"_Sì, è vero. Is true." He smiled at them. "When is wedding?"_

_Finn grinned. "Well that's why we're here. We're getting married this Saturday, down in Amalfi and we'd be honored if you could join us."_

"_Please bring whoever you want," Rachel added. "But we'd love for you to be there."_

_Enrico stared at them in shock. "You want me to come?"_

"_Of course. You helped me more than you know," Finn replied. "And I don't just mean the coins." He pulled a small package out from Rachel's bag and handed it to him. "Here. I made this for you."_

_Enrico opened it, revealing a picture Finn had created of a young man and a young woman sitting on the bench eating lunch. The woman, clad in a green dress was wearing a look of adoration her expression mirrored in her boyfriend's face as they talked. He stared in shock at the painting, running his finger over the young woman, his voice hardly more than a whisper. _"_Va bene."_

_"Does that mean you'll come?" Finn asked, elated at the thought._

_"I wouldn't miss it."_

He still couldn't believe that Enrico was at his wedding, accompanied by his daughter. He'd spent the last year telling Rachel all about him, but even she didn't fully understand the impact Enrico's words had had on him. Until they'd found him, he'd secretly feared that Enrico had died and he'd never get to know that he and Rachel got back together.

The music changed at that moment and he watched Puck's sister Sarah slowly start to walk down the aisle, followed by Quinn. Brittany followed a minute after and he chuckled at the sight of Beth toddling down the aisle next, making a beeline for her father and forgetting about the flowers she was supposed to be dropping, since she left the basket in the middle of the aisle.

The music ended and the guests all stood up, looking back to the closed doors. His heart sped up as the familiar _Here Comes the Bride_ started playing, knowing that the moment he'd been waiting for was finally here.

After what felt like forever, the doors opened and Rachel appeared, a father on each arm. Looking like a goddess, she slowly began walking towards him and his eyes locked with hers, forgetting about every single person other than Rachel. His eyes teared up as she came closer and he got that feeling he often got when Rachel stared at him, that feeling that he still couldn't believe that she chose _him_. Each step she took her smile grew wider and he had to resist the urge to run down the aisle and get her. She gave him that blinding smile once she was at the head of the aisle and he could feel her eyes boring into him as he shook each of her father's hands. Her own hand quickly slipped into his as she gave her bouquet to Brittany and they turned to face the officiant but not before he whispered how gorgeous she looked.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two very special people…." the officiant began and almost immediately, Finn zoned out, concentrating on the feel of Rachel's hand in his and trying to sneak glances at her out of the corner of his eye. Almost as if she knew he wasn't paying attention, Rachel gave his hand a squeeze and he forced himself to tune back in.

"….have elected to recite their own vows. These vows represent your solemn promise to each other." The Officiant turned to Finn. "Finn, please join hands with Rachel as you exchange your vows."

Finn adjusted his tie nervously with one hand, his other hand still holding Rachel's. He cleared his throat before speaking, his eyes never breaking contact with hers as he took her free hand in his. "You always hear people talk about the moment they fell in love. The truth is; I fell for you the second I saw you. I couldn't believe that there was this insanely gorgeous woman staring at _me_. I was mesmerized by your beautiful eyes and for the first time in a long time, I found myself wanting to get to know a girl. Fortunately for me, Fate was on my side since it decreed that we'd be thrown together on this insane adventure across Italy to find your soul mate, but what we really ended up finding was each other. I don't know what made you change your mind about me and actually, I still wonder about that, but whatever the reason was, you took a chance, and since then, I've never looked back. I knew as soon as I saw you that we had a connection and I thank God every morning that you came into my life. I am totally one hundred percent in love with every part of you; even the part that makes me put my dirty clothes in the hamper and not on the floor. I love your big brown eyes that light up when they see me, and I love the fact that you were so passionate about making your childhood dreams of finding your soul mate come true that you were willing to fly halfway around the world." He smiled wryly. "Just don't go hunting down a soul mate again."

Rachel laughed as she listened, reaching up to wipe a tear from his eye as he continued. "I love the way you fit perfectly in my arms when we watch TV. I even secretly love watching those awful romantic comedies you love so much with you because it means I'll get to hold you. But you know what I love most of all? I love the fact that I _knew_ the second you took my stupid little superhero question seriously and announced that you'd like to be Mr. Fantastic, that at some point in the future, I'd be down on one knee in front of you."

He paused, choking up slightly when he saw Rachel's eyes get watery. "Ever since I met you, my life hasn't been my own. I may have went to Italy with Kurt, but I was alone in every sense of the word, until I found this small brunette who instantly took hold of my heart and refused to give it back. Despite her claims that she hated me, she refused to relinquish my heart, driving me insane in a way that I knew I wanted to be driven insane for the rest of my life and now I can't ever imagine my heart being whole without her again." He gripped her hands tighter, his thumbs running over the tops of her hands. "Rachel, you've made me want to be a better man and you've never stopped believing in me, even when I don't believe in myself. If you let me, I intend to spend the rest of my life by your side, showing you that your belief in me was justified and also making sure that the only tears you cry are tears of joy."

He squeezed her hands as he finished, hoping he'd conveyed the depth of his love. The officiant took it to mean he was done and turned to Rachel expectantly. She smiled at him before turning her full attention to Finn, flashing him his favorite blinding smile.

"Finn, I look at you and I see my best friend and confidante, my lover and my soul mate. You are everything I never knew I wanted and I marvel at how one person could ever have gotten so lucky every time I see you smile that smile you save just for me. I think I fell in love with you on the beach when there was nothing and nobody between us, but I can say with absolute certainty that my heart ceased to be my own the moment you stepped out of that elevator because that's the moment I gave my heart over to you, even if I didn't want to admit it." She squeezed his hands, her eyes full of mirth for a moment. "I should have known you were the one for me since you stubbornly refused to go away, no matter how many times I told you to."

He laughed, one hand gently coming up to caress her cheek, his eyes still fixated on her as she continued.

"Someone once told me that meeting my soul mate would be like meeting an old friend, like coming home. I look at you and I know that I'm home. This feeling washes over me and I know that there's no other place I'm meant to be and no one else I'm meant to be with. Everything about you was made for me, just like everything about me was made for you, and I can only thank my eight year old self for annoying Noah so much that he set me onto the path that would lead me to you. For you _**are **_my soul mate. There's no one else on this planet who can read me like a book and your honesty, compassion and generosity help me find my way when I'm being spoiled, selfish or stubborn. You inspire me to be a better person and I vow to be the wife, lover and woman you deserve."

His eyes teared at her words and he had to strongly resist the urge to grab her and kiss her senseless. She seemed to understand, taking his hands in hers and running her thumbs over the backs of his hands just as he'd done to her. Her eyes never left his and he forced himself to concentrate on the feeling of her hands in his.

The officiant smiled as Finn squeezed Rachel's hands, looking past Finn to Kurt. "May we have the rings?"

Kurt pulled the ring box from his coat pocket, taking them out of the box and placing them on the plate the officiant was holding out.

He held the rings over their entwined hands. "I have in my hand the rings Finn and Rachel have chosen as symbols of their bond. The unbroken circle represents the endlessness of your love and may it forever be a symbol of the enduring trust and affection that you bring to one another. I'm told our couple has chosen to personalize the rings even further by inscribing them with the word "_destiny" _on the inside of each ring as an everlasting symbol of their love story. Finn, I'd like you to take the ring and slide it onto Rachel's finger. Please repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." He took the ring, sliding it easily onto Rachel's finger, admiring how perfect his ring looked on her finger, his thumb rubbing gently over her fingers as the officiant turned to Rachel, holding out the plate with Finn's ring on it.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Rachel repeated after the officiant. Unlike Rachel's ring, Finn's ring didn't slide on quite so easily and she struggled to push it on amid the laughter of the crowd. She gave him a mock glare as she teased him. "If you don't want to sleep alone tonight, you better let me put this ring on you."

He grinned, sucking in his stomach as if that would help. "Try it now."

Determined to get that ring on Finn, Rachel began twisting it until it was all the way down his finger. She smiled up at him. "There. You're mine now."

"I've always been yours," he replied, his eyes never leaving hers.

The officiant looked at both of them. "Finn, Rachel, you have declared your intentions to each other through solemn vows and by the giving and receiving of rings in front of your friends and family. By the authority invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He turned to Finn, a smile on his face. "You may now kiss the bride."

Not needing to be told twice, Finn pulled Rachel towards him as he placed a soft lingering kiss on her lips. Her hand came up to rest on his neck, trying to pull him even closer. Just like with their first kiss, the rest of the world melted away once their lips met and they gave into the realization that there was no one else in the world who could_ ever_ make them feel like this. They kissed several more times, each time feeling the kiss reverberate through their bodies. Only their guests clapping brought them back to Earth and they grinned at each other as they heard the officiant's next words.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce for the very first time, Mr. and _Mrs._ Finn Hudson."

Still grinning, Finn and Rachel turned to face their family and friends. Rachel accepted her bouquet from Brittany before running down the aisle with Finn hand in hand.

They'd done it.

* * *

><p>"….And now the reason we're all here, for the first time as husband and wife, Finn and Rachel Hudson!" the DJ announced, leading the cheers as Finn and Rachel walked onto the terrace hands in the air. "Finn, why don't you lead your wife onto the dance floor for the first dance?"<p>

Liking those words, Finn pulled Rachel close to him, giving her a kiss as the opening notes to their song started playing. They'd considered many songs over the course of many arguments and they'd stumbled upon this song almost by accident as they drove back to Ohio to visit Burt and Carole. Rachel's iPod had died and Finn had forgotten his, so knowing how much Finn hated the radio, Rachel had dug around the car and found Kurt's CD, the one that proven prophetic twice before. Rachel had set it to shuffle and once again her shuffle theory proved correct because the song that came on proved eerily true for them and instantly became their song.

Rachel rested her head against his chest, letting the words and music wash over them. Finn lowered his head to her ear murmuring declarations of love as they swayed to the music.

_**What if I never knew  
><strong>__**What if I never found you  
><strong>__**I'd never have this feeling in my heart **_

_**How did this come to be  
><strong>__**I don't know how you found me  
><strong>__**But from the moment I saw you  
><strong>__**Deep inside my heart I knew**_

_**Baby you're my destiny  
><strong>__**You and I were meant to be  
><strong>__**With all my heart and soul  
><strong>__**I give my love to have and hold  
><strong>__**And as far as I can see  
><strong>__**You were always meant to be  
><strong>__**My destiny**_

_**I wanted someone like you  
><strong>__**Someone that I could hold on to  
><strong>__**And give my love until the end of time**_

_**But forever was just a word  
><strong>__**Something I'd only heard about  
><strong>__**But now you're always there for me  
><strong>__**When you say forever I believe**_

_**Baby you're my destiny  
><strong>__**You and I were meant to be  
><strong>__**With all my heart and soul  
><strong>__**I give my love to have and hold  
><strong>__**And as far as I can see  
>From now until eternity<br>**__**You were always meant to be**_

_**My destiny**_

The song ended all too soon for their liking. Rachel looked up at Finn, her eyes full of love. "I love you, Mr. Hudson."

"I love _you_, Mrs. Hudson," he whispered back, leaning down to place a kiss on her lips. She smiled against his lips as she felt someone tug on her arm.

"You know, as Grandmother of the Bride, I believe I'm entitled to a dance with the groom," Nana commented.

Finn smiled. "Of course Connie, as long as Joe doesn't mind."

"Don't you have a soul mate of your own to dance with? Why do you need mine?" Grandpa teased, earning a laugh from Finn and a smack on the chest from Nana.

"Tell you what, Joe. How about I lend you mine?" Finn offered with a smile, using the hand he had on the small of Rachel's back to push her forward. "But you can't keep her."

"Sounds like a deal to me," Grandpa decided, whisking Rachel further away on the dance floor. "Come on, Strawberry."

Finn watched them go, a look of pure adulation on his face. Rachel smiled at him over her grandfather's shoulder, watching as he began dancing with Nana.

"Don't worry, he'll give her back," Nana teased, her eyes watching Finn staring at his new wife. "I knew from the moment Rachel first mentioned you, you know."

"Knew what?" he asked, tearing his eyes from Rachel to look down at his new Nana-in-law.

"That you were the one for Rachel. I knew it from that phone call, but I was positive after I met you. Do you remember that day?"

Finn laughed. "How could I forget? It was a Berry family invasion on my mom's house."

"_Oh, they're here!" Rachel squealed, opening the front door and stepping onto the porch. She managed to wait until the car doors opened before she ran to the car, arms outstretched. "Daddy!"_

"_Princess!" A tall man with closely cropped grey hair and thick glasses held out his arms to receive Rachel, enveloping her in a big hug as the other car doors began to open. _

_Finn, Carole, Burt, Kurt and Blaine all stepped onto the porch watching the reunion just as another car pulled up to the curb. Finn gulped as he watched a light skinned African American man wearing a stern expression climb out of the passengers side of the first car, knowing that had to be one of Rachel's fathers. Sure enough, Rachel ran around to the other side of the car, squealing. "Dad!"_

_"There's my Princess!" Like the taller man, he swept Rachel into a hug. "Where's this young man?"_

_Carole pushed Finn foward, who nervously stepped off the porch. Rachel smiled as she saw him coming, running over to take his hand. Happily, she pulled him to her fathers introducing him and grinning when she saw how nervous he was. _

_Trying to comfort him, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face to his chest. The simple move made him relax instantly and she allowed her eyes to notice the other occupants of the car now climbing out of the back. "Aunt Rebecca? Sarah?"_

_"Oh, Rachel, everyone was so excited to meet Finn that they all wanted to come," Hiram explained, gesturing to the other car, which Puck and Quinn were currently climbing out of. Rachel laughed but her laughter turned into a gasp when she realized who Puck was helping out of the back of the car. "Nana? Nana's here?"_

_"Of course! Like we'd leave Nana and Grandpa home!" Leroy boomed, his eyes watching Finn's hands stroking Rachel's back softly._

_She waited until Puck, Quinn and her grandparents walked up the driveway before she separated from Finn and dragged him to Nana. "Nana, this is Finn," she announced proudly, resuming her previous position against his chest._

_Nana beamed, her eyes taking in Rachel's position. "So you're the young man my grandaughter can't stop talking about."_

_Finn laughed, looking down at Rachel. "You couldn't stop talking about me, huh?"_

_"I may have mentioned you once or twice," Rachel huffed, separating from Finn and placing a hand on her hip. Her eyes were twinkling, unable to hide the mirth in them. "It was purely for story purposes."_

_Still_ _laughing_,_ he pulled her to him, placing an arm around her shoulders as he kissed her head. "I bet."_

_Hand in hand they turned and walked towards the house, leading the little group towards Finn's family. Nana trailed behind, a wide grin on her face as her eyes teared, unable to stop her brain from flashing back to that rainy day when she'd first told Rachel about soul mates._

"I guess we did invade Burt and Carole's," Nana mused. "Once we heard that Rachel was back in the country and that Noah was going to visit her, we knew we had to give this young man of hers the Berry seal of approval." They laughed together as the song ended and he led her back to Rachel. "You got it before we even got out of the car, just from watching your interactions with her."

"Well thank God for that." He smiled down at her, before resuming his staring at Rachel, whose own eyes had never left his.

"Ready to trade, Finn?" Grandpa asked, gesturing to Rachel, who grinned.

"Do I have to?" He laughed at Rachel's indignant huff and pulled her towards him, smiling down at her. "Relax, babe. Like I'd ever let anyone else have you."

* * *

><p>Much later that night, long after the guests had gone to sleep, Rachel found herself in the private infinity pool of the honeymoon suite, lounging against Finn's naked body on the sloped stone entrance to the shallow end of the pool. The water pooled around their legs, reminding Rachel of that night on the beach when he'd cleaned her off.<p>

His arms wrapped around her equally naked body and she idly began stroking them. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "What are you thinking about? More places in this suite for us to do it?"

She laughed. "I don't think there's any place we missed."

"True." He kissed her shoulder. "I can't help it if you looked so insanely hot in that dress that I had to have you as soon as I could."

She leaned her head back on his shoulder as she stared out at the dark sea. "Which resulted in us consummating our marriage on the floor, something I'll be proud to tell Brits."

The sarcasm in her voice wasn't lost on him and he pressed another kiss to her shoulder, adding a little bite. "I can't help it if the bed was all the way on the second floor of the suite but I think we made up for it on the couch after the floor." He kissed a little closer to her neck. "And the table." He kissed even closer. "And that lounge chair over there." He kissed her neck. "And don't forget this pool just now."

She giggled. "How could I forget all that?" She paused, staring back out at the sea. "Baby, did you notice the moon?"

"I did." He wrapped his arms tighter around her. "It's only fitting that we have a full moon on our wedding night."

"It's funny isn't? I spent a lifetime looking for what I thought I wanted, only to find out that it was a mistake." She stared out at the dark sea as she spoke. "But it wasn't. You were the plan all along, I just took a roundabout way to find you. But I did find you, so that's all that matters, right?"

"Yup. I couldn't escape you even if I wanted to."

She turned around in his arms, maneuvering herself so that she was straddling his lap. "You know, I've just thought of someplace we missed. And I believe I was promised a masterpiece entitled _The Wedding Night, _Mr. Big Artist."

He grinned, understanding dawning across his face. "That's funny because some girl sent me some paints this morning. If only I had a new spot to use them in."

"Would you like me to show you where it is?" she asked, kissing his lips lightly.

"It would probably be a good idea," he decided, playing along as he gripped her butt and stood up, holding her body to his."I might get lost and then what would my wife do?"

"She wouldn't like that at all," Rachel agreed. "I heard she really loves you."

"Yeah, I'm a lucky guy, since she's totally out of my league," he added as he carried her inside. "Now where in this suite could we have possibly missed?"

She giggled, placing another kiss on his lips. "The bed. We missed the bed."

He laughed as he walked up the stairs still carrying her. Carefully, he laid her on the bed, admiring her fine form for a moment. She stared back at him and a sudden fear gripped him. "You don't regret it, do you?"

"Never." The conviction in her voice assuaged him somewhat. "There hasn't been a day since I've met you that I've regretted the direction my life has taken. It may not be what I _thought_ I wanted, but deep down inside, it's what I always _knew_ I wanted and needed."

He teared a little at her answer as he climbed over her, kissing up her body and saving her lips for last. He kissed them repeatedly, idly thanking Fate for deciding she was it for him.

He totally owed them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Nine Months Later...<strong>_

"There he is! Finn! We're here!" Carole called down the hospital hallway where Finn was leaning against the wall, talking on his cell phone. He grinned when he saw them, waving at them. Barely able to contain her excitement, Carole led Burt, Blaine and Kurt towards Finn. "Where are they? Can we see them?"

"They're right in here," Finn announced, gesturing towards the door as he hung up his cell phone. "And of course you can see them. Rachel's been waiting for you."

He pushed open the door slowly, letting them file into the room and immediately standing in front of the incubator. "Babe? My parents and brother are here."

A tired looking Rachel was lying in the bed, singing to a small bundle in her arms. Her eyes lit up when she saw them and she beckoned them over to the bed.

"Look who's here," she cooed to the baby in her arms. "It's your Grandma, Grandpa and Uncles." She moved the blanket away from the baby's face, letting them see. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Samantha Giulia Hudson."

She exchanged proud looks with Finn as they ooohed and ahhed over the baby. She'd just passed the baby to Carole when Finn cleared his throat in an attempt to get their attention. "Um...Rachel and I have a surprise for you."

"Yes, Finn?" Carole asked, not looking up from Samantha.

"There's someone else you need to meet. You've already met Samantha, but now you need to meet Evan Christopher Hudson." Proudly, he picked the baby up out of the incubator, noting the stunned looks on all their faces.

"Twins? You had twins?" Burt asked, dumbstruck. He held his arms out for Evan, cuddling him to his body.

"My baby has two babies?" Carole exclaimed, looking from one baby to the other for confirmation.

Finn nodded proudly as he squeezed onto the bed next to Rachel. "We've known for a while, but we thought it would be fun to surprise you."

He was convinced they'd conceived the babies the night of their honeymoon when they'd recreated their first time under Sue's balcony. Despite Sue's supposed state of the art surveillance equipment, they'd managed to recreate that memory several times that night with Sue being none the wiser until they'd informed her the next morning. She'd been furious, threatening to spay and neuter them herself since her branding iron was still missing. Rachel had loved the idea of the babies being conceived on the beach although she hadn't found it funny when he suggested they name the twins Sue and Sylvester.

Carole shook her head as she passed the baby off to Kurt. "I really can't believe you had twins."

Rachel laughed. "I can't believe it either, Carole, and I gave birth to them."

Finn wrapped an arm around his wife. "I don't know why you're so surprised, Rachel. It's totally fitting."

"How so?"

"Well we set out to have the one awesome baby we wanted and ended up with two totally awesome babies, which is so much better," he explained, placing a kiss on her head. "I believe it's called Serendipity."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: I hope I covered everything I wanted to in this epilogue! It's been a long time coming, but hope it was worth the wait. Thanks to all who read, reviewed and alerted, and special thanks to my Crazies who took the Coupe off my hands so i could get this done ;)_**

**_Song used is "Destiny" by Jim Brickman._**


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